You can bury him in silence. But his Choir was always singing.
---
12:00 P.M.
ECHO-0 — Maximum Security Blacksite, Greenland
Silas Creed has not spoken in 13 days.
Not to guards.
Not to cameras.
Not even to himself.
Just stares at the walls.
Sleeps three hours a night.
Eats enough not to die.
But today—he smiles.
Because he hears them.
> Not voices.
Songs.
Muffled. Low. Impossible.
But there.
From somewhere beneath the cell…
> "We are the silence.
We are the blade.
We are the hand that frees the flame."
---
1:11 P.M.
Rome — Underground Cathedral
Torchlight dances on ancient stone.
Dozens kneel in rows.
At the altar stands a figure wrapped in red and gold.
Their face hidden. Their voice distorted.
They are called The Choir.
> "We do not pray to Hollow.
We become Hollow.
And we will return him."
They hold up a shard of glass.
On it: a blood-drawn map of ECHO-0.
> "In 7 days, the ice breaks."
"In 7 days… our god walks again."
---
2:00 P.M.
Naomi — Resistance HQ, Geneva
She stares at the footage of Hollow riots spreading again:
Manila
Buenos Aires
Helsinki
Rabat
Masked zealots in public squares, chanting Hollow's verses.
Burning Naomi's image.
And all with one symbol:
A gold circle split by a black line — a throat cut open.
> "He's locked up," Taye says.
"But someone's using him to start a religion."
Naomi replies quietly:
> "No.
They're starting a war of faith."
---
3:00 P.M.
Inside ECHO-0 — Sublevel 3, Maintenance Ducts
A guard checks his station. Everything looks normal.
Until he notices…
Faint music leaking from the air vents.
He bends down. Listens.
It's Silas's voice.
But recorded. Echoed. Played back in loops:
> "You built a cage. But not a silence."
Then—
BOOM.
The vent behind him explodes. Gas floods the corridor.
Within seconds—
Five guards are down.
From the smoke, three zealots emerge, wearing staff uniforms.
They carry no guns.
Only knives.
And faith.
---
3:12 P.M.
Silas's Cell — Emergency Breach Detected
Alarms scream.
Doors seal.
Naomi gets the notification halfway across the world.
> "ECHO-0 under internal assault.
Code BLACK. Level 10 breach."
Her heart skips.
> "No. No no no…"
She dials the comms to the site.
> "LOCK THE CORE. Do NOT open his cell!"
But deep below—
The zealots are already inside.
---
3:13 P.M.
Silas Sits Calmly As The Door Opens
Gas hisses. The light turns red.
He doesn't move.
The lead zealot kneels.
> "We are the Choir.
We were always listening."
Silas finally speaks:
> "And now… we sing."
They hand him a fresh shirt. Black. Elegant.
And a mask of gold.
He slides it on slowly.
> "Let's begin Act Two."
---
Final Scene
Naomi stares at the screen.
Subject H-01: ESCAPED
Status: Unknown
Casualties: 38 confirmed dead
Last visual: Golden mask. Smiling.
She closes her eyes.
> "I should've shot him."
---
Final Line:
> "He's not a ghost," Naomi whispers,
"he's a god with a choir. And now he's free to finish the song."
---