I. The calm before the incision
Syria, the capital of order, technology, and surveillance, had not been touched by chaos in decades. Its population lived among steel structures, rigid rules, and blind trust in its automated systems.
But while the cameras were recording and the drones were patrolling, no one was looking inside.
And inside… everything was already compromised.
An hour after Operation: Ebony Scar was discovered, Akihiko traveled without identification to the city limits.
There, an old ally was waiting for him: Lorn Daven , a former cybersecurity officer for Syria's central council, now a renegade.
—"If the Ebony Shadow entered Syriem, it wasn't by force.
It was by design."
Lorn handed Akihiko an encrypted file:
"They're taking over the Neural Synchronization Center. If they succeed, they'll be able to reprogram any mind connected to the central system without leaving a trace."
Akihiko understood: this was no longer a physical fight.
It was a war of mental domination.
II. The infiltrator who was already inside
Meanwhile, in Syriem's Omega Tower, one of the lead scientists of the thought-control system walked the halls with a subtle smile.
No one recognized him as an enemy. No one suspected… that he was one of the Deadly Seven.
His name: Ysin . Alias: The Bone Counter .
An expert in data manipulation, identity modification, and social control architecture,
his weapons weren't knives or bullets...
but algorithms capable of changing your perception of reality.
That day, he activated the "Ash Mirror" protocol.
A silent code that erases a target's memory for 12 hours, while replacing it with false memories.
Twelve high-ranking government officials fell…
without knowing it.
III. Akihiko enters the crack
With Lorn's help, Akihiko gains access to Syriem's ancient underground infrastructure: forgotten tunnels that once powered the data reactors.
There he finds an active zone.
Armed guards. Screens lit.
And a symbol: the black insignia of The Ebony Shadow .
Akihiko activates his jamming device.
Within minutes, the tunnel is de-energized.
And in the smoke that follows, the attack begins.
Close combat.
Knives. Explosions.
And in a central chamber, Akihiko finds a corrupted synchronization unit .
Inside: a woman connected to the system, being reprogrammed in real time.
His eyes moved, but his voice… repeated an emotionless mantra:
"I will obey. Pain is programming. Control is peace."
Akihiko forcibly disconnected the unit. It collapsed.
But his pulse continued.
IV. First contact with Ysin
While escaping with the victim, Akihiko felt a vibration in the communicator. A digitally altered voice:
—"You have touched a memory that is not yours."
—"Ysin?"
—"I'm the one who decides what you should remember."
Akihiko replied without raising his voice:
—"Then come and take the memory away from me… if you can."
The line cut off.
And Akihiko knew that the real enemy wasn't the one who kills...
but the one who edits your mind until you think nothing happened.
V. The Black Archive
At the location where he rescued the woman, Akihiko found a forgotten terminal.
The password was broken. The system was almost inoperable.
But between the lines of code, he found an encrypted folder:
"Phase 2 – Rise of Oblivion"
And a date: 4 days.
—"They have a plan to erase the collective memory of Syria."
Akihiko closed the terminal. Time was running out.
END OF CHAPTER 143