The Helix Institute was unusually quiet as Ethan walked through the main corridor, the rhythmic sound of his boots echoing off the polished marble floors. The usual hum of activity, the clinking of training equipment, the buzz of recruits swapping stories was absent.
Something felt off.
Ethan glanced at Elise Laurent, who walked beside him, her green eyes sharp and wary.
"Do you feel that?" she asked softly.
Ethan nodded. "Too quiet. Feels like a storm's about to hit."
Behind them, Marcus Wren chuckled, his hands stuffed casually into his pockets. "You two are paranoid. Maybe they're giving us a day off for once."
Elise shot him a glare. "That's not how this place works, Wren."
Marcus shrugged. "Suit yourselves. I'm heading to the sparring ring."
He veered off down a side hallway, leaving Ethan and Elise alone.
They continued toward the briefing room, where Alexander Graves had summoned them for an unscheduled meeting. Ethan's gut tightened with unease. Unscheduled meetings were never a good sign.
The briefing room was dimly lit, the large screen at the front displaying a flickering map of the Helix Institute's campus. Graves stood at the head of the table, his expression colder than usual. Beside him, Seraphina Vale leaned against the wall, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.
"You're late," Seraphina said sharply as Ethan and Elise entered.
"We got here as fast as we could," Ethan replied, his voice steady.
Graves stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back.
"We have a situation," he said, his tone clipped. "A recruit has been feeding intel to a rogue organization known as the Shadow Hand. They've been infiltrating high-level training facilities across the globe, and now they've set their sights on us."
Elise's eyes widened. "A mole? Inside the Institute?"
Graves nodded grimly. "We believe the recruit is planning to sabotage key systems, including the academy's security grid. If they succeed, the Shadow Hand will have full access to our classified data."
Ethan's jaw clenched. "Who is it?"
Graves's sharp eyes locked onto him. "That's what we're about to find out."
The tension in the room was palpable as the recruits gathered in the observation hall. The wide space overlooked the training yard, its high windows offering a clear view of the sprawling campus below.
Ethan stood beside Elise, scanning the crowd. The usual camaraderie between recruits had evaporated, replaced by suspicion and unease.
"This is bad," Elise muttered.
Ethan nodded. "They're already dividing us, and we don't even know who it is yet."
Graves and Seraphina entered, their presence commanding immediate silence.
"We've identified the traitor," Graves announced, his voice echoing in the hall. "Ryan Locke."
Gasps rippled through the room. Ryan, a wiry recruit with sharp eyes and a quick wit, stepped forward, his expression a mix of shock and defiance.
"That's a lie!" Ryan shouted. "I've been loyal since day one!"
Seraphina stepped closer, her cold gaze fixed on him. "We intercepted a transmission sent from your terminal, Locke. The evidence is undeniable."
Ryan's face paled, but his voice remained steady. "I didn't send anything. Someone's framing me!"
Before Graves could respond, the room was plunged into darkness.
BOOM!
An explosion rocked the building, shattering glass and sending recruits sprawling. The air filled with smoke and the acrid scent of burning metal.
"Move!" Graves shouted. "Secure the area!"
Ethan's ears rang as he scrambled to his feet. The observation hall was in chaos recruits shouted orders, alarms blared, and thick smoke billowed through the shattered windows.
"Elise!" Ethan called out, coughing as he waved the smoke from his face.
"I'm here!" Elise's voice came from his left. She appeared moments later, her hair disheveled but her eyes sharp.
Through the smoke, Ethan spotted Ryan Locke sprinting toward the exit.
"There!" Ethan shouted.
Elise nodded, pulling a pistol from her holster. "Let's go."
The chase led them through the shattered hallways of the Institute. Ryan moved fast, ducking through side corridors and vaulting over debris with the ease of someone who'd been trained for this exact situation.
Ethan and Elise kept pace, their boots pounding against the floor.
"Locke!" Ethan shouted. "Stop!"
Ryan glanced back, his expression filled with a mix of fear and determination. "I didn't do this, Cross!"
Ethan hesitated for a split second, but Elise didn't. She raised her pistol and fired.
The bullet struck a metal pipe inches from Ryan's head, sending sparks flying. He stumbled but kept running.
The chase ended in the server room, a vast space filled with humming machines and blinking lights. Ryan skidded to a stop, his chest heaving as he turned to face them.
"I'm telling you, I didn't do this!" Ryan shouted, his voice desperate.
Elise raised her pistol, her hands steady. "Then why are you running?"
Ryan's eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape route. "Because I know how this ends! They've already decided I'm guilty!"
"Maybe because you are," Elise snapped.
Ethan stepped forward, his voice calmer. "Ryan, if you're innocent, then prove it. Help us stop this."
Before Ryan could respond, a voice crackled through the room.
"Well, this is touching."
The recruits turned as a figure stepped out of the shadows, a tall man dressed in black tactical gear, his face obscured by a mask.
"Who the hell are you?" Elise demanded.
The man chuckled, his voice deep and mocking. "Just a messenger."
He raised a small device and pressed a button. The server room erupted in flames.
The explosion knocked Ethan off his feet, the heat searing his skin as he hit the ground hard. Smoke filled the room, and the sound of crackling fire drowned out everything else.
Ethan struggled to his knees, coughing as he searched for Elise.
"Elise!"
"I'm here!" Her voice came from the far side of the room. She emerged moments later, dragging Ryan by the arm.
"We need to move!" she shouted.
Through the smoke, Ethan saw the masked man disappearing into a side corridor.
"Go!" Elise yelled. "I've got Ryan, stop him!"
Ethan nodded, his chest tightening as he sprinted after the figure.
The masked man was fast, weaving through the crumbling hallways with precision. Ethan pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he closed the distance.
Finally, he tackled the man, both of them crashing to the floor.
The masked man was strong...too strong. He threw Ethan off easily, pulling a knife from his belt.
Ethan rolled to his feet, drawing his own blade.
"Who are you?" Ethan demanded.
The man didn't answer. Instead, he lunged.
The fight was brutal, a flurry of blades and fists in the confined hallway. Ethan's training took over, his movements quick and precise.
But the man was faster, stronger. He disarmed Ethan with a sharp twist, the knife clattering to the floor.
Ethan braced himself for the killing blow, but the man paused, his masked face tilting slightly.
"Not bad, Cross," the man said, his voice almost… amused.
Then, with a swift motion, he threw a smoke grenade and disappeared into the shadows.
By the time Ethan returned to the server room, the fire had been contained. Ryan was gone, escorted to the holding cells and Elise was waiting for him.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
Ethan nodded, but his mind raced.
The masked man had known his name.
Whoever he was, this wasn't over.
Lex's words echoed in his mind:
"Once you're in… there's no turning back."
End of Chapter 13.