Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 50: "The Embers We Carry"
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The van sped through the outskirts of the scorched city, its tires screeching over shattered pavement as smoke trailed behind them. No one spoke — not yet. The silence in the vehicle was thick, laced with exhaustion, adrenaline, and questions none of them were ready to face.
Kara sat with her sister wrapped in a blanket beside her, Kyra's head resting on her shoulder, eyes fluttering with fatigue. Adrian drove in silence, jaw clenched, eyes constantly checking the rearview mirror as if expecting the past to catch up with them.
Tessa tapped away at her tablet, scanning the final files they'd extracted from Vane's servers before the explosion. Her brows furrowed deeper with every line she read.
Ronan sat by the door, gun still in hand, gaze scanning the horizon. "We should be far enough. But it's too quiet."
Adrian nodded. "Too easy."
Kara looked down at her sister. "You're safe now, Kyra. I've got you."
Kyra coughed weakly. "Safe… for now."
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Twelve Hours Later – Hidden Safehouse
The team regrouped in an old fallout shelter buried beneath the forest hills. Concrete walls. Steel door. No signals in or out. Safe… at least for now.
Kara sat beside Kyra as she slept, watching her chest rise and fall. The moment felt surreal — after all this time, after all the bloodshed and horror, her sister was finally back.
Adrian entered quietly and set a steaming cup beside her. "She's strong. Just like you."
Kara offered a tired smile. "She held on… even when I didn't know she was alive. That kind of strength doesn't come easy."
Adrian crouched beside her. "And now you have a choice."
Kara raised a brow. "A choice?"
He nodded. "We keep running. Or we dig deeper. Find out what Vane really meant by 'awakening'."
Tessa stepped in, her expression grim. "I've been going through the fragments we recovered. It's not just about Kara or Kyra. It's about something called the Obsidian Protocol."
Kara frowned. "What's that?"
Tessa pulled up a blurred image on her tablet — rows of human silhouettes connected by wires, suspended in massive tanks. "It was a second project. A backup plan. Vane wasn't just trying to create soldiers — he was trying to resurrect minds."
Ronan crossed his arms. "You're saying there are more… like them?"
"Maybe even worse," Tessa said. "He left us a breadcrumb trail — and I think he wanted us to follow it."
Kara stood, heart pounding. "Then we follow it."
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Elsewhere – Ruins of the Lazarus Facility
Amid the charred ruins and twisted metal, a faint hum vibrated from beneath the rubble. A hidden vault opened silently as a red light blinked from within.
A figure stepped out — a woman, her eyes glowing with artificial light, her expression vacant.
FILE RESTORED: PROJECT OBSIDIAN
NAME: SUBJECT ZETA
MISSION: SEEK. ELIMINATE. RETRIEVE.
She turned toward the horizon and walked.
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Back at the Safehouse
Kyra stirred awake, wincing as she sat up. "Kara…"
Kara rushed to her. "Easy. You're safe."
But Kyra's voice was strained. "No… no, you don't understand. Vane didn't just use us. He put something in us. Triggers. Failsafes."
Kara's heart dropped. "What do you mean?"
Kyra grabbed her hand tightly. "We're not just survivors. We're weapons. And he's not gone. He planned for this."
The lights flickered.
Then the alarms blared.
"Breach detected," Tessa shouted. "Someone's found us!"
Ronan loaded his rifle. "Already?!"
Adrian stood at the front. "Kara, get Kyra to the bunker. We hold the line."
Kara's voice hardened. "No. I'm done running. If Vane wants a war… he'll get one."
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To be continued…
🔥 Project Obsidian has begun. The fire wasn't the end — it was only the spark. What's coming… could burn everything down.
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