Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 37: "The Price of Truth"
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The night air was thick with mist as Kara followed Mara deeper into the bowels of the old observatory. Every creak and whisper of the building seemed to echo the weight of secrets buried for decades. Mara's footsteps were steady, confident, but Kara felt the tremble of uncertainty growing inside her. The truth was within reach—but what price would it demand?
Mara stopped before a rusted metal door, peeling paint revealing a faded emblem: Lazarus Division—Classified.
"This is where they conducted the earliest experiments," Mara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Before the Protocol was weaponized. Before it became the nightmare you know."
Kara glanced at Adrian and Ronan, who had followed silently behind, weapons ready. "Why bring me here?"
"Because you're the key," Mara said, pushing the door open. Inside, a dimly lit chamber revealed walls lined with dusty monitors and scattered data drives. "Your mother's research was hidden here—encrypted, but not destroyed. She wanted you to find it if anything happened to her."
Kara stepped forward, heart pounding. "And this 'Nemesis' protocol?"
Mara pulled a thin data drive from a cracked console. "It's the countermeasure to the Lazarus Protocol. It can shut down the regeneration and memory wipes that keep the cycle going. But it's incomplete. Pieces were stolen, hidden in different locations."
Tessa immediately took the drive, connecting it to her portable terminal. "I can start decoding it, but it'll take time. And Vane's people will be searching."
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Then we don't have much time."
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As the team gathered around, Mara explained the deeper history. "Elias Vane wasn't always the monster you see. He started as a brilliant scientist desperate to save lives, including your mother's."
Kara's breath hitched. "My mother?"
"Yes. She was one of the earliest subjects—a volunteer—before the Protocol turned into a weapon. Vane's obsession twisted his intentions. He crossed every line."
Ronan's voice was grim. "That explains the implants, the memory fragments. It's not just science—it's control."
Mara nodded. "The Protocol erased who you were to remake you as a tool. But your mother's love left a spark inside you—that's why you're different."
Kara swallowed, the weight settling deeper. "So, this fight… it's more than survival. It's about reclaiming who I am."
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Hours later, Tessa finally spoke. "The drive is partially decrypted. Nemesis is a virus—designed to target the neural implants. It can disable the Lazarus Protocol at the source."
"But?" Adrian prompted.
"It needs a launch code—hidden in a physical key," Tessa said, eyes scanning the code. "Vane has it. It's locked in a vault beneath his current stronghold."
Kara clenched her fists. "Then that's where we go next."
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That night, as they prepared to move, Kara found herself alone on the rooftop, staring at the stars swallowed by city lights. Her mind replayed Mara's words and the weight of the path ahead.
Her phone buzzed—a message from an unknown number:
"Be careful who you trust. Not everyone wants the fire to burn."
Her pulse quickened. Shadows moved just beyond the rooftop's edge.
Adrian's voice came soft behind her. "We don't have many allies left."
Kara turned, eyes fierce. "Then we make our own."
They shared a look charged with promise and pain—two souls battling a future built on lies but held together by a fragile, defiant hope.
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To be continued…
🔥 Truth has a price—and every flame casts a shadow.
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Ashes of Our Flame by RapwizzyDebaron. The fight for freedom is just beginning.