Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 49: "Before the Fire Falls"
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The door to Vane's control chamber loomed ahead — thick steel reinforced with bio-locks and motion sensors. But Kara wasn't intimidated. Not anymore.
Tessa crouched beside the control panel. "It's encrypted with old-world code. I can bypass it, but I'll need time."
Adrian stood guard beside her. "How much?"
"Five minutes. Ten if it fights back."
Kara stepped forward, resting her palm flat against the cold metal door. "We've come too far to stop now."
Her voice was calm, but beneath it, a storm raged. Every breath brought her closer to the truth — and closer to her sister.
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Underground – Containment Vaults
Kyra's body trembled with every breath. Her back pressed against the stone wall of the lower tunnel, her blood staining the concrete beneath her. The Guardian's red eyes flared like twin torches in the dark.
She gritted her teeth, willing herself to stay conscious. "I've been through worse."
The Guardian advanced, its voice metallic and void of emotion. "Pain is irrelevant. Orders: absolute."
It lunged.
Kyra rolled to the side, grabbing a rusted metal rod from the debris and jamming it into the machine's neck. Sparks flew. The Guardian reeled back but didn't fall.
She didn't wait.
Kyra staggered to her feet, adrenaline pushing her beyond her limits. A glowing panel near the tunnel wall blinked erratically — a control switch. She threw herself toward it and slammed her hand down.
The ceiling groaned. A portion of the tunnel caved in, crushing the Guardian beneath a landslide of stone and steel.
She collapsed to her knees, gasping.
"That's... for every night... I didn't sleep."
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Mainframe Control Room
Back above, Tessa finally cracked the encryption.
The door creaked open with a low hiss, revealing Vane's chamber — dimly lit, surrounded by walls of flickering monitors. At the center stood Dr. Elias Vane, calm and unnervingly composed.
He turned slowly. "Welcome. I was beginning to think you'd given up."
Adrian raised his weapon. "You're done, Vane. Step away."
Vane only chuckled. "Do you think this ends with me?"
Kara stepped forward. "No. But it starts with you."
He tilted his head. "You still don't understand, do you? Everything I did — the trials, the protocols, Kyra — it was never about control. It was about awakening."
Tessa whispered to Kara, "He's stalling."
Vane smiled.
Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the facility.
OMEGA PHASE INITIATED.
SELF-DESTRUCT IN 15 MINUTES.
Vane's voice cut through the chaos. "You want the truth? Then survive long enough to see it. Let's see if fire purifies — or consumes."
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Panic and Fire
The base shuddered. Pipes burst. The air filled with smoke and screams.
Ronan shouted, "We need to get out! Now!"
But Kara wasn't moving. She stared at Vane — his calmness, his certainty.
"You're afraid," she said softly.
Vane raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"
"Of being forgotten."
She turned away, leaving him behind.
As they ran through the crumbling hallways, Kara's comm crackled.
A faint, strained voice: "K-Kara…"
She froze.
"Kyra?" Her heart leapt.
"I… I'm alive. Lower tunnel. S-7…"
Adrian grabbed her arm. "Kara, the whole place is coming down!"
She met his eyes. "I have to get her."
Tessa nodded. "We'll hold the exit. Go."
Without hesitation, Kara turned and vanished into the smoke.
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Tunnel S-7
Kyra lay barely conscious as footsteps echoed closer. Then—light.
Kara's silhouette appeared through the dust.
"Kyra!"
Kyra looked up, a weak smile playing on her lips. "Took you long enough."
Kara dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm here. I'm not leaving you again."
"I knew you'd come," Kyra whispered.
Explosions rumbled above.
Kara pulled her up. "We've got to move."
Together, staggering, bleeding, burning — they ran.
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Final Moments
Adrian, Tessa, and Ronan stood at the extraction point. The facility groaned as flames consumed it.
Then, through the smoke, two figures emerged.
Kara and Kyra.
Adrian's breath caught in his throat. "She did it…"
They piled into the escape van just as the facility collapsed behind them in a fiery roar.
The fire didn't consume them.
They had risen from it.
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To be continued…
🔥 A sister saved. A villain left behind. But the truth Vane spoke of still lingers in the shadows. What was the real
purpose of the Lazarus Project?
Vote, comment, and follow Ashes of Our Flame by RapwizzyDebaron — the flames may die down, but the embers of mystery still burn.