The safe house was quieter now, but the weight of what they carried pressed heavily in the stale air. Selene sat cross-legged on the floor, the stolen data core humming softly in her hands like a heartbeat. Around her, Lina and Rafe worked feverishly, their fingers flying across keyboards and touchscreens, decrypting the secrets locked inside Harrow's impenetrable vault.
Calder paced, restless, his eyes darting toward the door every time it creaked. Marrow leaned against the wall, arms folded, his expression unreadable. The tension was a living thing between them, thick enough to suffocate.
Lina broke the silence first. "This is worse than we thought."
Selene looked up, her gaze sharp. "What is it?"
Lina pulled up a file—after the layers of encryption peeled away, what remained was a twisted history of experiments, betrayals, and power plays. "The Orchid Program wasn't just a training facility. It was a breeding ground for control. They've been manipulating bloodlines for decades, harvesting abilities, and rewriting identities."
Rafe shook his head in disbelief. "That means we're all part of something bigger... something designed to break us down."
Marrow stepped forward, voice low and rough. "It also means they knew exactly who to target. Not just because of our skills, but because of who we are."
Selene's fingers tightened around the data core. "They want to own us, erase our pasts, and rewrite our futures."
The room went silent except for the faint hum of the machines.
Suddenly, Lina's screen flickered, revealing a video file buried deep within the data. She clicked play.
A young woman's face appeared on the grainy screen, her eyes fierce, voice calm but filled with pain. "If you're watching this, it means the Orchid Program is falling apart. I am Dr. Mara Ellison, one of the original scientists behind the project. We were promised it would be used for protection, but it became a weapon."
Selene's breath caught.
Dr. Ellison continued: "The program's reach extends beyond what you see. Your families—your blood—carry pieces of this experiment. Some of you are more connected than you realize. You must find the others. Trust no one outside this circle. Harrow's enemies are not always allies."
The video ended abruptly.
Rafe's jaw clenched. "So, this whole war... it's been shaped by lies and manipulation from the very beginning."
Calder swallowed hard. "And now, with this intel, Harrow will do anything to stop us."
Selene stood, determination blazing in her eyes. "Then we hit them harder. We find the others Dr. Ellison warned about. We expose every secret."
Marrow's voice cut through the room, cold and precise. "But we have a problem. Someone in this group isn't who they say they are."
A sharp intake of breath.
Selene's gaze snapped to Marrow. "What do you mean?"
Marrow's eyes flickered toward Rafe.
Rafe's expression hardened. "You're accusing me?"
Before Marrow could answer, the door slammed open with a heavy crash. Armed operatives stormed in, weapons raised.
Selene dove for cover, pulling Lina behind a metal table. Shots rang out, bullets ricocheting off the walls.
Calder fired back, pinning the intruders, while Marrow tackled one attacker to the ground.
In the chaos, Rafe disappeared into the shadows.
Selene's mind raced. Was Rafe the traitor, or was Marrow trying to mislead them?
As the gunfire died down and the operatives retreated, Selene's voice was fierce. "We have to move. Now."
Lina grabbed the decrypted files. "They want this data, and they want us gone."
Selene nodded grimly. "Then we make sure they get neither."
Outside, the city's dark veins pulsed with danger. The war for truth was only beginning, and the shadows held more enemies than friends.