** Sorry for being late guys this is too short as I was soo busy and didn't get time to write a long ch , from ch 5 all chs will be long **
Instagram - @inksleuthh
----------mention a user
A gentle rain fell over the city, cloaking the streets in a veil of silver and sound. Lyra moved through the deserted alleys, her footsteps a soft counterpoint to the rhythmic pattern. Above her, the darkened windows of the archive building loomed, promising revelations and dangers alike.
Inside, the air was thick with the musk of ancient tomes and the weight of knowledge that had slumbered undisturbed for centuries. Lyra's eyes adjusted to the dim light as she approached the heart of the archive, where the Lost Scriptures awaited her, their pages heavy with secrets.
"These scriptures hold the key to unlocking a powerful technology," Kazel whispered, his voice barely audible over the creaking of the old wooden beams. "With this knowledge, we can control the virus and bend it to our will."
Lyra's mind raced with the implications. She had always suspected that the Phoenix was hiding something, but she had never imagined this. "What kind of technology?" she asked, her voice laced with scepticism.
Kazel's smile grew wider. "A technology that can manipulate the very fabric of human consciousness. The Phoenix has been working on this project in secret, using the lab where you were held captive as a testing ground."
Lyra's thoughts flashed back to the eerie laboratory, the rows of humming machines, and the cold, calculating gaze of Dr. Ethan. She shuddered at the memory.
"We need to get this information to the NMRF," Lyra said, her determination renewed. "We can't let the Phoenix unleash this on the world."
Kazel nodded, his expression sombre. "I agree, but we need to be careful. The Phoenix has eyes and ears everywhere. If they discover what we're planning, they'll stop at nothing to silence us."
As they spoke, Lyra noticed a faint humming noise coming from outside the warehouse. It grew louder, and soon the sound of engines and screeching tires filled the air. Lyra's heart sank as a convoy of black vans pulled up outside, disgorging a team of heavily armed Phoenix operatives.
"Looks like we have company," Kazel muttered, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.
Lyra drew her own gun, her mind racing with escape routes and contingency plans. But as she glanced at Kazel, she saw something that made her blood run cold. A small, almost imperceptible nod from Kazel to the lead operative, a man with a scar above his left eyebrow.
The realisation hit Lyra like a ton of bricks. Kazel was working with the Phoenix all along and he never betrayed them . The Rebellion – it was all a ruse to gain her trust.
With a fierce determination, Lyra aimed her gun at Kazel. "You're coming with me, traitor," she growled.
Kazel's smile never wavered. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Lyra. You see, I have a new mission now. And you're not part of it."
Lyra's eyes narrowed. "How could you do this to me, Kazel? I trusted you."
Kazel's expression turned cold, his voice devoid of emotion. "Trust is a luxury we can't afford in this world, Lyra. You should know that by now."
Lyra's anger boiled over. "You used me, Kazel. You used our friendship to get to the NMRF and further your own agenda."
Kazel shrugged. "Collateral damage, Lyra. You were always meant to be a pawn in this game."
Lyra's eyes stung with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "And what about your story about the Phoenix's plan to operate the world? Was that just another lie?"
Kazel's gaze flickered, and for a moment, Lyra saw a glimmer of the friend she once knew. "That part was true, Lyra. The Phoenix does intend to unleash a mind-control virus on the world. But I've been working to ensure that it happens... with a few modifications."
Lyra's mind raced. "What do you mean?"
Kazel's smile returned, sinister and cold. "Let's just say that I have a vision for a new world order, and the Phoenix is just a means to an end."
Lyra's anger erupted into action. She hurled a nearby crate at Kazel, but he dodged it with ease. She charged at him, gun blazing, but Kazel was too quick. He disarmed her and pinned her against the wall.
As they struggled, Lyra's thoughts raced back to their conversations, the clues she had missed. Kazel's strange behaviour, his evasions, and his constant pushing for more information. It all made sense now.
With a surge of adrenaline, Lyra managed to break free and land a solid punch to Kazel's jaw. He stumbled back, giving her just enough time to grab a nearby pipe and swing it at him.
The two former friends clashed in a flurry of punches, kicks, and screams, their fight echoing through the abandoned warehouse. Lyra's anger and hurt fueled her strength, but Kazel's training and experience made him a formidable opponent.
As they fought, the Phoenix operatives closed in, their guns trained on Lyra. Kazel's eyes locked onto hers, a cold, calculating glint in their depths.
"You should have stayed out of this, Lyra," he sneered. "Now, you're just a liability."
As the Phoenix operatives closed in, Lyra knew she had to act fast. With a swift kick to Kazel's face, damaging his left eye. He roared in pain, his expression twisted in rage.
"You'll pay for that, Lyra!" Kazel screamed, his voice echoing through the warehouse.
One of the operatives raised his gun and fired, the bullet hitting Lyra in the leg. She screamed in agony, her vision blurring. Another operative kicked her in the stomach, and she felt a warm gush of blood spreading across her abdomen.
"Enough!" Kazel barked, his voice echoing through the warehouse. "We don't want her dead... yet."
Lyra's vision blurred, her consciousness slipping away. She knew she had to pretend to be dead, or they would finish her off for sure. With a Herculean effort, she relaxed her body, letting herself go limp.
"Scream," Kazel ordered, his voice detached. "Make it convincing."
One of the operatives kicked her again, and Lyra screamed, her voice raw and anguished. She felt herself being dragged away, her body bouncing over the rough concrete floor.
As she was tossed into a dark, cramped space, Lyra's mind raced. She had to escape, and had to warn the NMRF about Kazel's betrayal. But for now, she had to play dead, and had to convince them she was no longer a threat.
With a silent prayer, Lyra went still, her body limp and lifeless. She waited, her heart pounding in her chest, as the Phoenix operatives closed the door behind her, trapping her in the darkness.
The sounds of the warehouse grew fainter, replaced by the pounding of her heart and the ragged gasps of her breathing. Lyra lay there, pretending to be dead, her mind racing with plans for escape and revenge.
But as the minutes ticked by, Lyra realised that her biggest challenge was yet to come. She had to survive, had to keep her wits about her, until she could escape and bring Kazel and the Phoenix to justice.
The darkness closed in around her, suffocating and oppressive. Lyra's thoughts grew cloudy, her consciousness slipping away. She fought to stay awake, to stay alive, but it was no use.
As the blackness consumed her, Lyra's last thought was of Kazel, of his betrayal and his sinister plans. She vowed to stop him, to make him pay for what he had done.
And then, everything went black.
Lyra's escape was a testament to her resilience and determination. Despite the searing pain from her leg and the dull throb in her stomach, she found a way out through a broken window, using the last reserves of her upper body strength to hoist herself up and out into the night.
Once outside, she didn't allow herself a moment of rest. She knew the Phoenix operatives would soon notice her absence. With the warehouse behind her, she found a secluded alley to assess her injuries. Her training in first aid was rudimentary, but it was enough to bandage her leg and apply pressure to her stomach wound. The pain was blinding, but she pushed through it, driven by the need to survive and warn the NMRF of Kazel's betrayal.
Meanwhile, Emily was growing increasingly anxious. It was unlike Lyra to be out this late without any word. She tried calling Ethan and Asher, voicing her concerns, but their responses only heightened her worry. "I think she's with the enemy," Asher's voice was grim, and Ethan could only agree. Emily refused to accept this. Using her advanced knowledge of psychology and profiling, she began to piece together Lyra's possible movements, searching for any clue that might lead her to her friend.
As dawn broke, a glimmer of hope emerged. Lyra, battered and bruised, managed to hail a taxi. The driver, seeing her condition, didn't hesitate to rush her to the nearest hospital. As the medical team swarmed around her, providing the urgent care she needed, Lyra's mind was on her friends at the NMRF. She needed to let them know she was alive, that she had escaped.
The following night, as Emily sat with the NMRF team, the room was thick with tension. News of Lyra's supposed betrayal and her identity as an assassin had spread, casting a shadow over her name. But Emily knew better; she knew Lyra's heart. The phone rang, cutting through the silence like a knife. It was Lyra.
"Put it on speaker," Asher instructed, his voice steady.
I'm doctor Diana Caldwell speaking from Silicon hospital Lyra wants to talk to u Emily, Dr. Diana handed the phone to Lyra.
Lyra's voice, weak but determined, filled the room.I was injured but I escaped. Kazel, my mentor, he— did , ." The call ended abruptly, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.
The NMRF team exchanged worried glances, the tension palpable in the air. Emily's hand hovered over the phone, her mind racing with concern. The incomplete confession hung between them, a thread of truth severed by an unknown hand.
The doctor's voice was steady, yet it carried an undercurrent of urgency that couldn't be ignored. "She's at Silicone Hospital," he informed the anxious faces gathered around him. "That's all we know for now."
The NMRF team absorbed this information, each member processing the gravity of the situation. Silicone Hospital was not just any medical facility; it was known to be a place where high-profile individuals, and sometimes those with connections to covert operations, were treated.
The revelation that Lyra was there only added another layer of complexity to the already tangled web of events. It meant she was alive, but it also meant she was potentially in more danger than they had anticipated.
As the team prepared to move out, the weight of the unknown bore down on them. They were heading into a situation that was volatile and unpredictable, but their resolve was unshaken. Lyra was one of their own, and they would do whatever it took to ensure her safety.
The suspense hung in the air, a silent spectrum that followed them as they made their way to Silicone Hospital. What would they find when they arrived? Was it a trap, or was Lyra's call for help genuine?
Only time would tell, and as the team moved swiftly through the night, the pieces of the puzzle remained scattered, waiting for the right hands to put them together.