The steel elevator groaned as it descended slow, intentional, almost punishing. The smell of burnt oil lingered thick in the air, clinging to the silence between them. No one spoke. The only sound was the thundering of their hearts.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzauivYAKB
Jayden Crowe had his head lowered, trapped in the haunting echo of those final words:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZNW9d1jYs
"Prepare to lose something precious."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6SGTpKevP8
With a jolt, the elevator stopped.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYctSQUrsox
The doors slid open with a hiss.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOb9IkzixF
They stepped out into a room flooded with golden light, but it wasn't from any source they could see. The floor beneath them gleamed like glass but it wasn't just any glass. Beneath it shimmered images... reflections of memories. Each of them saw someone they had loved or still did. Someone their soul still whispered to in the dark.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmTRaicOsC5
Jayden saw Evelyn Mayfield. Arms around him, sunlight warming their faces, her smile reaching every corner of his heart. His chest tightened. His knees nearly buckled.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Dn3M5IGSU
Rhea Morgan stared at a little girl Daisy. Her daughter. The one who had been ripped from her after a filthy custody battle stained with lies and corruption. Rhea forgot how to breathe.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTYvxi4Tmx
Connor Black's eyes locked onto a frozen moment in time: his older brother, wide-eyed and bleeding. A gun in Connor's 14-year-old hands. An "accident" he had lied about for years. Said it was suicide. But it wasn't.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BZqzV9vyF
Sienna Volk saw the patients. All of them. The ones who died under her care. They stared back from beneath the glass, cold and accusing.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywsSBVYHtT
A voice returned. Calm now. Almost... soothing.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBeeR31ZaJ
"Welcome to the Chamber of Truth. Here, each of you will face a choice: lose someone... or lose a part of yourself."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5A5jnyLE1V
"We begin with Jayden Crowe."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW7ZkfdjW7
Jayden froze.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcdi3hE1SQ
"You have one minute to decide. Either sacrifice someone still living someone who matters deeply to you or erase every memory you've ever had of Evelyn Mayfield. If you refuse to choose... you lose them both."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbP27UAX6Er
His throat was dry. The others turned to look at him, the weight of the room unbearable.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPtH7PSynxJ
"Anna. Evelyn's daughter. She's still alive. She's with Evelyn's family. If you choose to give her up... she dies. If you choose to forget Evelyn, you lose everything you shared. You won't even remember loving her."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NUOTeE29g
Jayden slowly sank to the floor. His breath shook. Evelyn had been his anchor to humanity. But Anna? She was innocent. She didn't even know him.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLUDXXFnQT
He closed his eyes.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yGl66X2QW
Then whispered, "Erase her from me. All of it. Every piece."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKOklDU7yQ
Silence.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwszpyp4yc
"You have chosen to erase part of your soul. You have shown mercy and real pain. Proceed."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zwdQqGc2J
Jayden blinked.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8zxPzJXr0
A vacuum filled his chest.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo22JqzTxZC
He stood... hollow.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBH7vGui2R
"What is this?" he muttered. "Why does it hurt... when I don't know why?"
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAotOkDfm8
Rhea bit her lip, tears threatening. She knew. Evelyn was gone from him now. Forever.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncYsaqMoLq
One by one, they were called. One by one, they chose. Some clung to memory, letting go of the people they loved. Some gave up pieces of themselves. Others couldn't choose and the room made the choice for them.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sBdkcNnJk
When it was over, only five remained:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkcgZ9XmaK
Jayden Crowe
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHmnGWPji2
Rhea Morgan
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2KUDzA6QO
Sienna Volk
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWxTkr5AMv
Connor Black
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwy2zkvMAz
Luisa Delvane
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyfgI3jovG
A new voice emerged this one female. Soft. Familiar.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLe6F5XhaYb
Jayden's heart skipped. It sounded like Evelyn.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouYKLQwOSj
"This was never a game. It was a process. Designed to strip away the shadows inside you. Now... it's time for the final truth."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1PRb3zhIN
A panel in the wall slid open.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJzKfUVwxr
A single chair sat in the center of the room, surrounded by cables, needles, and a curved screen with pulsing radiation monitors. Below the chair, engraved into the metal, read:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmR3bsYwXx
"Only one can know the whole truth."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWOX7wlGCw
"One of you will sit in the chair. The others will vote. Whoever sits will learn everything who created this, why it began, who's behind all the deaths. But after one hour... they will die. Exposure to the radiation of truth is fatal."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDd9XfQZuj
Dead silence.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡawlZ6BwFyB
Rhea whispered, "I can't anymore... I've already lost everything."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHmBuqKRoG
Connor looked at Jayden. "You seem strong. Maybe it should be you."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRHxr4LrIF
Jayden didn't answer.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjAcZtXLQh
Sienna curled in on herself, shaking. "I wish I had died earlier..."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kRImDT4WS
Then Luisa stepped forward.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQNmTGBoXp
Her voice didn't tremble.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq7LCVTdjvY
"I'll do it."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatQG53C2Bv
Everyone turned.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLTA7xMTTE
"I've been searching for answers since the day I disappeared. They blamed me for what happened. Said I killed my friends. I didn't. I was innocent. If dying gives this pain meaning then let me die for something."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTroz3GVQ8
Jayden's voice was hoarse. "Luisa... you know this isn't normal, right?"
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEKsHd6ddEN
She smiled through her grief. "I've been dead inside for years, Jayden. This... is the closest I'll get to living again."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcjS2hkVcml
They voted. One by one.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPVzJ1UmLG
Four votes.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3mgOjMtGnN
All for her.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBISEudRKsV
Luisa sat down.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEwpAGiMoO
The restraints clicked. Lights flared red, then blue. The screen in front of her blinked on, showing the image of a man.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ON9DIUyOA
Cold eyes. A scar on his forehead in the shape of the Greek letter "Ω."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVsIsOsclPP
Luisa gasped. "It's him. That's the man. Dr. Kain Ezekiel. He ran the government's cognitive trial program. We were part of it."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwADoTHkn4
Jayden stumbled back. The voice Evelyn's voice returned.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9PnzWdbPO
"Dr. Kain initiated Project SIREN a system designed to remove guilt from field operatives. But it went too far. It became torture. Everyone in this room... was an early test subject. And now... it ends."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZVRMz2XKhr
Jayden's memories came crashing back.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwewTptApXS
The training. The mission. Evelyn.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RVWr4yBf8
"If you ever remember, Jayden... tell them the whole truth."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0oHrQ2SNxG
Luisa, weak now, whispered her last words:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1gpZ1Ng4q
"Project Siren never ended. This whole thing... was the final test. To see if any of us... were still human."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNWxiccXoX
She collapsed.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwePOnguE6i
Blood trickled from her ears.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfn9fJ7qvvh
She was gone.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCCb3K0My4
The walls glowed.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGKP2pw4mzE
A final door unlocked, hissing open.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvyHAVn6G2X
Glowing letters above it read:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvN1EnZOG3
"ONE FINAL ROOM: THE HEART OF IT ALL."
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbFTsyt6i0
Jayden rose to his feet.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzZzVD0DvL
He didn't know what waited in that room.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3zvEj829v
But for the first time, he understood:
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkaA0WBRs7
This wasn't about survival any
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0goWtUanM
more.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGQTOs8hmg
It was about truth.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDikuuvdF5
And he was finally ready to face it.
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuu9zvgC2z
(To be continued..................)
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuDGUhEDwY
Leave a comment 💭
Rate it ⭐
Follow me EricProtyJr
67Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMvzMUjce9
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.