Three months have passed since the Reckoning ended, but the world remains haunted by its silence. From the top floor of a glass-paneled tower, Aiden watches over Metro City—a metropolis reborn through blood and surveillance. Drones hum in the skies, and cameras blink from every corner. He wears a black coat that barely conceals the glowing tracker embedded in his neck.
He's no longer just a survivor. He's a Hunter now—recruited, reprogrammed, and leashed.
Inside the cold briefing hall, Aiden sits before a curved holo-screen. A robotic voice, detached and calm, lists his new target: "WRAITH. Former Player #46. Status: Rogue. Last seen in Zone F."
Aiden stiffens. He remembers Wraith. The medic who once stitched up his side after a botched escape. Quiet. Kind. Steady hands.
Commander Vale, a woman carved from ice and titanium, enters the room without a word. Her platinum hair is bound in a perfect knot, and her presence hushes the rest of the Hunters. She glances at Aiden.
"Don't let your memories get in the way. Hunters don't remember. They execute."
The holo-screen updates with the latest Hunter Protocol:
> The New Rules – Protocol 12.4
• Rogue survivors are enemies of order.
• Hunters must eliminate all unauthorized Players.
• Emotional compromise is grounds for termination.
• Memory suppression is encouraged.
Aiden's jaw tightens. He glances at the others—silent, expressionless, their eyes dull. No one speaks of the old days anymore. Not unless they want to be extracted.
Night falls over Zone F. The remnants of a forgotten suburb stretch under flickering streetlights and broken neon signs. Graffiti covers the walls: We Are Not Data.
Aiden leads the infiltration. The squad moves like shadows. Their pulse-maps flash red—Wraith is nearby.
Splitting from the group, Aiden follows the signal through a ruined convenience store. In the alley behind, he finds him.
Wraith stands beneath a broken lamppost, unarmed. His eyes still hold that same quiet calm. "You're not one of them," he says. "You saved me once. Back in Sector 7."
Aiden raises his weapon. His HUD flashes urgent commands: TERMINATE. TERMINATE.
Wraith doesn't move. "Do it," he says. "Or remember who you are."
The seconds stretch into silence.
Then Aiden lowers the gun. "Run," he whispers. "Now."
Wraith vanishes into the shadows without a word.
Later, Aiden returns to HQ. The surveillance feed glitches for three seconds—just enough. Commander Vale eyes him.
"Report?"
Aiden nods. "Target eliminated."
She says nothing, only marks the file with a check.
Alone in the corridor, Aiden exhales and stares out at the city.
He's just broken the first rule.
And in the Reckoning, rules are written in blood.
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