Zayn finally woke up from bed, only to lie back down and stare at the sterile ceiling.
Ever since he traded five humanity points for the Sixth Sense, the silent weight of dread lingered too much around him—like when you know something's off, but you don't know what.
WAAAH! WAAAH! WAAAH!
The alarm went off through the walls.
What the hell…
Echo Bastion's alarm only ever rang for a single reason—something was terribly wrong.
Zayn quickly changed as he bolted out the door, the hallway lights flickering in flashes of red above him as Aurelian soldiers in full armed gear jogged past.
He finally got outside, where a riot of civilians stood at the gates of the Bastion, all raging and chanting as they held up numerous signs. Soldiers had formed a barricade to keep them pushed back and controlled.
By Zayn's side was Emily—arms folded, just staring.
"Hey, Em! What the hell is happening?!" Zayn screamed to drown out their voices.
Emily said nothing, just gestured for him to come over.
He walked to her. "What's going on?"
She stayed glazed on the riot. "Someone leaked a video of the Aurelian implantation labs and a list of the failed implantations... and then they matched here this morning."
So the spy's finally become active.
As they stood, another figure walked from behind them—Zion. He grasped Zayn's shoulder. "This shit's not letting out, is it?"
"I don't think so, man. What're the higher-ups saying about this?"
Emily answered, "Well, since every Aurelian base is having to deal with this, I guess there's gonna have to be a meeting...
...We can't exactly win a war if the public fucking hate us."
Zayn asked, "So who do you think leaked the video anyway?" He stared at them, trying to check their reactions.
Emily answered, "Probably a new private who doesn't get how things work yet... but they will."
"How 'bout you, Zion?"
"Honestly, it doesn't matter anyway. The Ascendancy will always find a way to change the narrative... You guys ready to go to the lab?"
They didn't answer, just turned on their heels and headed for the elevator as the protesters raged louder and louder.
The ride down was silent except for the mechanical whir of the elevator, before finally getting to the ground floor and the doors opened.
The other bionics were already gathered, like usual, as a very pissed off Captain Jones raged and screamed, his face red and knuckles white to the point of dead.
Too far to hear exactly what he was saying, they drew closer to him — and he finally caught sight of them.
"Finally, you three decide to grace us with your presence..." He slammed his fist on the table he was standing behind. "Where the hell were you?"
Emily answered, "We were checking out what the hell was going on, sir."
"Oh, I'll tell you what the hell is going on. One of our soldiers is a goddamn snake... a rat... a mole... a fucking spy. And when we catch them, we're gonna make them pay."
Rachel raised a brow as she spoke, "Sir, what makes you think it's not a higher-up?"
"Nah... it's definitely one of them. The system told me itself."
They all turned to her — even Luca, as he rested against a wall and said nothing.
Levi smirked. "Rachel, do you really think that a higher-up would betray the Ascendancy?"
Captain Jones continued, "I really don't fucking care. Levi, Rachel, and..." His eyes darted across them at least twice. "Boots up. We move out in 10 minutes."
They all nodded in unison, and Captain Jones left in a hurry.
Luca muttered, "Weird how they always call you two—Levi and Z."
Emily shot back as she shrugged her shoulders, "Maybe 'cause you're too lazy to say anything about it?"
"Guys, come on—we have an actual problem on our hands," Zayn finished for her, his voice flatter than usual.
The group exchanged glances, then filed out in silence.
The elevator ride back up was tight, the air tense. Zayn stood still, but his thoughts moved fast. That Sixth Sense of his hadn't stopped buzzing since the moment he stepped outside. It wasn't screaming—but it wasn't quiet either.
Dull pressure.
Like watching a glass of water on a trembling table, just waiting for the crack.
They finally arrived at the jet hangar, where Levi, Rachel, Captain Jones, and Major Coleman were already in gear.
The drone hummed overhead and they pranced around—mechs in corners like sleeping beasts, just waiting for some action. Echo Bastion wasn't the top Ascendancy base, but it surely wasn't the worst. They had so much firepower and manpower, it was a surprise they hadn't won the war already.
Where the hell are we even going?
He thought, as he silently kept walking towards them.
They all gave each other a quick nod as they stepped onto the jet, along with a squad of Aurelian soldiers in full gear.
The pilot in front turned to the Major.
"Where to, sir?"
"Take us to Auremax Bastion."
Auremax Bastion — a fortress structure built on top of the ruins where the last physical war happened. It was the first stand of the Aurelians.
Auremax Bastion is more than a military stronghold — it's the symbol of the Aurelian Ascendancy's iron grip on law and order… or maybe just control.
The jet raised altitude before pulling out of the bay, slicing clean through the sky.
****
Few Hours Earlier
The meeting with Captain Jones had just ended. Alone in her room, Rachel was getting ready to move out when she heard a knock on her door.
She stood up and opened it. It was Levi.
Without a word, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him—then locked it.
Rachel paused.
She raised a brow. "What's going on, Levi?"
He lifted his hands, a calming gesture. "I have to tell you something. You and I—we're the oldest of the bionics. I think it's finally time you knew."
She stood up from the bed, taking a step back. Her tone sharpened. "What are you talking about, Levi?"
He spoke slowly, deliberately. Each word felt like a stone dropping. "I know who the spy is."
Her muscles tensed. "What? What do you mean, you know? How? And who?"
"I found out recently. I didn't want to alert the others yet... because the spy is one of us. A bionic."
She scoffed. "You can't be serious. There's no way in hell there's a mole in our squad. We've been through everything together. And how the hell did you even find this out?"
"I saw him," Levi said, voice steady. "Down at the implant site. He was taking videos. Making weird calls."
Rachel sat down on the edge of the bed, visibly shaken. "Come on, Levi. You're saying one of us is a spy? Our squad that's been together since enlisting?"
"I know it's a lot to take in. But even you know exactly who I'm talking about." He sat beside her. "Think about it. I haven't even said a name—and you already know."
She turned toward him, frowning. "There could be a million reasons why he's acting strange. That doesn't mean he's committing espionage. He's one of us. He's like a brother."
Levi leaned forward. "And what happens when that 'brother' points a gun at you? Or at Luca? Look, Rachel… you don't have to believe me right now. I just needed to tell you—because we're about to get on a jet with him."
A pause. A breath.
"…The spy is Zayn Callahan."