MIRROR CAGE – CHAPTER 20: MIDNIGHT RECKONING
"Trust is the sharpest blade—and it cuts both ways."
[Midnight – Sublevel -1, Kingsvale Institute]
Elijah moved quietly through the stale, concrete corridors of Sublevel -1, the underbelly of Kingsvale Institute. The dim, flickering lights barely cut through the shadows that clung to every corner like a living thing. His footsteps echoed softly as he approached the old training room—his refuge and the place where his perfect and original selves had collided for the first time.
Inside, Naomi leaned against a rusted metal pillar, her figure half-swallowed by darkness. Her eyes, sharp and unreadable, flicked up as Elijah entered.
"Elijah," she said, voice low but steady. "You actually came."
He folded his arms across his chest, keeping a cautious distance. "You wanted to meet. Here I am."
Naomi pushed off the pillar, stepping forward into the faint red light that splashed across the peeling walls. "Breaking into the Core wasn't just about grabbing data. It was a power move. A statement. You want control."
"I want to survive," Elijah replied, voice curt. "I'm nobody's pawn."
She smiled thinly. "Neither am I."
[Unspoken Past]
There was a heavy silence between them. Memories lingered—silent, sharp.
Naomi's expression softened, almost wistful. "I wasn't always the enforcer. I believed in Project Mirror once—their vision of a 'better' future. But it's all a cage of lies."
Elijah's gaze hardened. "So, what changed?"
"I did." She exhaled sharply. "Now I want to tear it down. But that means choosing sides. Picking allies. I'm offering you mine."
[The Proposition]
Naomi's eyes locked with Elijah's. "You want to take down Project Mirror? You need someone on the inside. Someone with access and knowledge."
Elijah shook his head. "Trust is a luxury I can't afford."
"It's the only weapon you have left," Naomi said softly.
He stared at her, searching for any hint of deception. "What's your price?"
"Information," she said simply. "And a way out. For both of us."
Elijah's mind flicked back to the encrypted files he'd uncovered at Sable's hideout—the mention of Naomi's name. The realization that she was tangled deeper than anyone knew hit him like a blow.
"You were part of it," he said quietly. "You knew everything."
Naomi nodded, the weight of her confession heavy in the air. "I was trapped. Still am, in ways you don't understand."
[Silent Truce]
After a long pause, Naomi extended her hand. "Truce. For now."
Elijah hesitated. Then took it.
The contact was electric—a strange mix of vulnerability and strength.
[Outside the Cage]
Side by side, they moved through the labyrinthine halls beneath the sleeping city. Above, lights flickered in distant apartments, unaware of the war brewing underground.
[At Sable's Hideout]
Mason paced impatiently. "So… are we trusting Naomi or throwing her to the wolves?"
Sable's calm voice cut through the tension. "We need her intel. For now, she's an asset."
Juno's eyes narrowed. "Hope she doesn't stab us in the back."
Elijah stayed silent, his thoughts already racing ahead, weighing risks and shadows.
Alone in his room, Elijah stared at the two faces in the mirror—the perfect and the original.
Trust is a cage, too.
But maybe... it could also be the key.