Aiden stares at the screen, unable to look away. The words on the display pulse with a strange rhythm, almost as if they're waiting for a response.
"Welcome back, Wraith."
The voice on the message echoes through his mind, stirring something deep within him. A long-buried part of himself, one he's tried to forget, resurfaces with the mention of his old alias—Wraith.
He didn't want to be reminded of it. The memories come flooding back, cold and sharp. Before the Reckoning. Before everything changed.
His hand trembles as he reaches for the terminal, but his mind races. Who knew? Who sent this?
Cyra's face is a mask of calm, but her eyes, ever-watchful, flick to the screen. "You've been quiet. What's it say?"
"Nothing I want to talk about," Aiden mutters. He disconnects the drive. The ghosts of his past still cling to him, and he has no intention of letting anyone—least of all Cyra—see it.
Cyra raises an eyebrow. "Hiding something?"
Aiden's gaze hardens. "Do you trust me?"
Cyra's lips curl into a smirk. "Trust? Maybe. But I sure as hell don't trust them."
He nods, forcing himself to look at her. "Fair enough."
The warning sirens cut through the air. A cold, mechanical shriek that sends chills down his spine. A moment of hesitation, and then the door bursts open.
Two armored Hunters step into the room, guns raised. Their eyes scan the space like predators hunting prey.
"You're both coming with us," one of them commands.
Aiden's heart skips a beat. He hasn't been caught. Not yet. But these Hunters—he's seen their kind before. Cold. Relentless. No questions asked.
"Move," the second Hunter growls, his fingers tightening around his weapon. The others fall in step, crowding Aiden and Cyra.
The room feels smaller. Too small.
Cyra stays still, her posture stiff but unyielding. Aiden does the same. He's calculating, thinking of the quickest exit, the way to disable the Hunters before they can get the jump on him.
But before either of them can make a move, the terminal pings again.
"Wraith."
The voice, now echoing louder, fills the room.
And just as quickly, the sound of the door slamming shut cuts through the air.
All of them are locked in.
The Hunters step back, confusion crossing their faces. The atmosphere is thick with something unfamiliar.
The lights flicker, then die.
Aiden doesn't flinch. He doesn't need to see.
He's already reached for the concealed blade at his side.
The silence lingers for a moment longer, the tension hanging thick in the air. Then, all at once, the lights flicker back on, and the terminal flashes once more.
"Wraith. You have no choice now."
It isn't a message anymore. It's a command.
And then, the world tilts.
---