Twelve

Fiora’s POV

I had never truly understood what it meant to be in danger until now. Every step I took alongside Brynmor felt like walking on a thin wire suspended over a chasm. One wrong move, and everything could end.

“Come on,” he said, helping me up. “We need to leave now.”

I nodded, following his swift pace as we exited the facility. We had obtained what we needed: information about the Core Genetic Override and Devlin’s grand plans. But it wasn’t enough.

“We need help,” he said after a few minutes of walking.

“Help?” I asked, trying to keep up with his stride.

He nodded. “There’s someone I know. He might give us more information, maybe even help us take down Devlin.”

I frowned. “Someone? Who?”

“Kael,” he answered curtly.

The journey to Kael’s hideout took hours. Brynmor was more tense than usual. I couldn’t tell if it was exhaustion or uncertainty about whether Kael could still be trusted.

When we arrived, the place wasn’t much different from the facility we had just left—a worn-out building that looked abandoned but showed signs of life inside.

Brynmor knocked on the door with a specific pattern and waited. I stood behind him, unsure of what to expect.

The door opened moments later, revealing a tall man with disheveled hair and sharp eyes that immediately locked onto Brynmor.

“Brynmor,” he said flatly.

“Kael,” Brynmor replied in the same tone.

I observed the way they looked at each other, as if there was a long and complicated history between them—one that wasn’t entirely friendly.

“Who’s she?” Kael finally asked, shifting his gaze to me.

“Fiora,” Brynmor answered before I could. “She’s the one you think she is.”

Kael’s expression changed slightly, though I couldn’t decipher what he was thinking.

“Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let us through.

Inside, the place was far more organized than it appeared from the outside. Technology and equipment were scattered across tables, with large holographic screens displaying streams of data. Kael didn’t seem like someone who ever stopped working.

“Why are you here?” he asked Brynmor, sitting down and grabbing a glass of water from a nearby table.

“We need your help,” Brynmor said bluntly.

Kael chuckled dryly. “Of course. You only come to me when you need something.”

“We don’t have time for games, Kael,” Brynmor said. “Devlin is planning something big, and we need to know how to stop it.”

Kael raised an eyebrow. “Something big?”

“Core Genetic Override,” I interjected, slipping into the conversation.

Kael turned his sharp gaze to me, his eyes narrowing. “You know about that?”

“She knows more than you think,” Brynmor cut in before I could reply.

Kael sighed deeply, stood up, and approached one of his holographic screens. He typed something, and data began to flood the display.

“Core Genetic Override,” he said, his tone now serious. “If Devlin activates this, he’ll erase all genetic links in the colony. That means no more synchronizations, no more genetic pairings, and no more systems as we know them.”

“Why would he want to do that?” I asked.

“Because he wants to create a world he can control entirely,” Kael replied. “He doesn’t care what happens to anyone else as long as he gets what he wants.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Then how do we stop him?”

Kael’s sharp eyes bore into mine. “That’s the question, isn’t it? How do you stop someone like Devlin?”

We spent hours strategizing. Kael shared data about Devlin’s remaining active facilities and a potential location where the Core Genetic Override might be stored.

“There’s one facility that could be it,” Kael said, pointing to a map on the screen. “But it won’t be easy. That place is heavily guarded, and its security systems are nearly impenetrable.”

“That’s never stopped me before,” Brynmor said with unwavering confidence.

Kael smirked faintly. “That’s what I’ve always liked about you, Brynmor. You think you’re invincible.”

“Because I’ve never lost,” Brynmor replied without hesitation.

I watched the two of them with curiosity. There was something in their dynamic that hinted at a long, complex history.

“And what about you?” Kael suddenly asked me. “Are you ready for what’s coming?”

I swallowed hard, trying to mask my nerves. “I don’t know,” I admitted honestly. “But I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Kael studied me for a moment before nodding. “Good answer.”

After our discussions, I found myself sitting alone in a corner, trying to process everything. Brynmor was talking to Kael across the room, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

My thoughts drifted to my family—my father, my siblings, and everything I had left behind. I didn’t know if I’d ever see them again or if they even cared that I was still alive.

“Fiora,” Brynmor’s voice broke my thoughts.

I looked up to find him standing nearby, his expression softer than usual.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“Everything,” I replied. “I’m just trying to make sense of how I ended up here.”

He sat down beside me, taking a deep breath before speaking. “I know this isn’t easy. But you’re stronger than you think.”

I looked at him, sensing that he truly believed his words.

“And I’ll make sure we get through this alive,” he added.

I didn’t know what to say, so I simply nodded. Yet, deep down, I started to believe that maybe we could pull this off.

As night fell, we prepared for the mission. Kael briefed us one last time about the plan and the security systems we’d face.

“This won’t be easy,” he said, looking at us seriously. “But I believe you can do it.”

Brynmor nodded firmly. “We can.”

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Brynmor said to me as we prepared to leave.

I met his gaze with determination. “I’m not staying here while you fight out there.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips, though I could see the worry in his eyes.

“Alright,” he said. “But you have to follow my lead. There’s no room for mistakes.”

“I know,” I said, trying to sound confident.

He studied me for a moment before saying, “You’re stubborn.”

I smiled faintly. “I learned from the best.”

That night, sleep eluded me. My mind kept racing, replaying everything that lay ahead—the dangers, the stakes, and whether we’d succeed in stopping Devlin.

“What are you doing here alone?” Brynmor’s voice startled me.

I turned to see him standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I admitted.

He walked over and sat beside me. “Neither could I.”

We sat in silence for a few minutes, the weight of the upcoming mission hanging between us.

“Brynmor,” I said softly.

“Hm?”

“What will you do when this is all over?”

He was silent for a moment before answering, “I don’t know.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised. “You always seem like someone who knows what to do.”

He gave a small smile. “That’s just part of the act.”

I laughed lightly, feeling like I was seeing a different side of Brynmor for the first time.

“And you?” he asked suddenly. “What will you do?”

I exhaled deeply. “I don’t know either. But I want to live freely—without fear of the system, without following unjust rules.”

He looked at me with soft eyes. “You deserve that.”

His words warmed me in a way I couldn’t explain.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

The following morning, the air was tense as we prepared for the mission. Kael gave us one last rundown, emphasizing the challenges ahead.

“It won’t be easy,” he said, his gaze firm. “But I trust you’ll make it.”

Brynmor nodded. “We will.”