Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 35: "Beneath the Ashes"
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The underground facility was a tomb of forgotten science and whispered secrets. Flickering lights cast long shadows over cracked walls as the team moved cautiously through the labyrinthine halls.
Kara's heart pounded, every step echoing a mix of fear and fierce determination. This was the place where it all began — where the Lazarus Protocol took root, and where answers waited to be unearthed.
Adrian's voice was a low murmur, "Stay sharp. We don't know what's left behind… or who might still be watching."
Ronan scanned the dark corridors, rifle raised. "I've got your back."
Tessa hacked into the security system, fingers flying over her portable console. "Just a few more seconds… and—got it! The lockdown should lift for five minutes."
The heavy steel doors groaned open.
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Inside the main lab, the air was thick with the scent of chemicals and stale secrets. Rows of dormant machines hummed faintly, monitors flickering with corrupted data.
Kara's eyes caught a glass chamber, cracked but intact. Inside lay a figure — not quite human, not quite machine — frozen in suspended animation.
Her breath caught. "Is that…?"
Ronan shook his head. "Prototype Zero-One, before she went dark."
A sudden noise startled them. Footsteps — slow, deliberate — echoed from deeper within the facility.
Adrian motioned to move. "We're not alone."
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In the shadows, a familiar silhouette stepped forward. Dr. Elias Vane, white hair slicked back, cybernetic eye gleaming in the dim light.
"Welcome back," he said smoothly. "I've been expecting you."
Kara squared her shoulders. "This ends tonight, Vane. No more lies."
Vane smiled coldly. "You think you can stop what I started? The protocol is evolution — and you're just the beginning."
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Tense seconds stretched into a standoff.
Then, without warning, alarms blared.
Tessa shouted, "They triggered the secondary defense system! We have to move!"
The team sprinted, dodging turrets and collapsing beams. Kara's mind raced — the truth was here, but so was danger unlike any they'd faced.
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Breathless, they burst into a control room. Tessa quickly interfaced with the console.
"Uploading a virus to shut down the facility… now!"
Red lights flashed. The building trembled.
Adrian grabbed Kara's arm. "Time to go!"
They raced back through the maze as explosions rocked the underground complex, flames licking the walls.
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Outside, the dawn was breaking, casting pale light on a world still filled with shadows.
Kara looked back once, heart heavy but fierce.
The past was buried beneath the ashes, but the fight for their future was just beginning.
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To be continued…
🔥 Secrets buried deep… but the flame still burns.
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