Chapter 11: Shadows of the Past
The academy was quiet in the late hours of the night, the usual clamor of training drills and cadet banter replaced by the faint hum of security cameras and the distant chirp of crickets. Ethan sat at his desk in the dorm, staring at the system interface glowing faintly in his mind. His muscles still ached from the mission, but sleep refused to come.
He couldn't stop thinking about Lila's warning. The system was a double-edged sword—one that could sharpen him into a weapon but would cut him down if he wasn't careful. And now, with the revelation that it might have ties to the academy's experiments, the mystery surrounding it felt more suffocating than ever.
"Alright, system," Ethan muttered under his breath. "Show me what you're hiding."
He focused on the interface, navigating through its menus. Most of it was familiar by now—stats, abilities, missions. But there was one section he hadn't explored: a locked folder marked Origins Protocol.
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Access Denied: Insufficient Authorization.
The words flashed in bold red across his vision. Ethan scowled.
"Figures," he said, leaning back in his chair.
But then a new thought struck him. He couldn't access it—but maybe Lila could.
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"Are you insane?" Lila hissed, her voice low but sharp.
They were seated in the back corner of the library, hidden behind tall shelves of dusty textbooks. Ethan had explained the locked folder and his suspicion that it might hold answers about the system.
"Probably," Ethan admitted. "But you said you'd help me figure this out. This might be our only chance to learn the truth."
Lila glared at him, her arms crossed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? If the academy catches us—"
"They won't," Ethan cut in. "You're the best coder I know. If anyone can crack this, it's you."
Lila hesitated, her expression softening. "Fine. But if we get caught, this was your idea."
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Back in their dorm, Lila connected her laptop to a small device she called a "data piggyback." Ethan had no idea how it worked, but apparently, it could intercept and replicate signals from the system's interface.
"Alright," she said, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "This folder of yours has some serious encryption. Whoever made this didn't want anyone snooping around."
Ethan sat on the edge of his bunk, his hands clasped tightly. "Can you break it?"
Lila didn't answer immediately, her brow furrowed in concentration. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours before she let out a triumphant laugh.
"Got it!" she said, spinning the laptop to face him.
Ethan leaned forward, his heart pounding as the folder's contents appeared on the screen.
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The first file was a video, its thumbnail showing a dimly lit lab. Ethan hesitated, his hand hovering over the play button.
"Ethan?" Lila prompted, her tone gentle.
He nodded and pressed play.
The video flickered to life, revealing a man and a woman standing in front of a console. The man was tall and lean, his sharp features framed by dark hair streaked with gray. The woman was shorter, with warm brown eyes and a calm demeanor.
Ethan's breath caught in his throat. He knew those faces.
"Those are... my parents," he whispered.
Lila's eyes widened. "Your parents? Ethan, this is—"
"Quiet," he said, his voice shaking.
The video continued, the man speaking in a low, steady voice.
"This is Dr. Marcus Cross, lead scientist on the Super Soldier Initiative. The subject prototype has been successfully integrated with the system's neural interface. Initial tests indicate a significant increase in physical and cognitive performance, though long-term effects remain unknown."
Ethan felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. His father's voice was calm, clinical, detached.
The woman—his mother—spoke next, her tone softer but no less serious. "Marcus, we need to consider the ethical implications of this. If the system overheats or malfunctions, it could—"
"Not now, Eleanor," Marcus interrupted. "We're on the brink of something revolutionary. This could change the future of warfare."
The video ended abruptly, leaving Ethan staring at the black screen.
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For a long moment, neither he nor Lila spoke.
"Ethan," Lila finally said, her voice hesitant, "are you okay?"
He shook his head, his hands gripping the edge of the desk. "Why didn't they tell me? Why didn't they tell me they were involved in this?"
Lila placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe they couldn't. The academy seems pretty good at keeping secrets."
Ethan's mind raced. His parents had always been distant, their work consuming most of their time. But he had never imagined they were involved in something like this—something that had now become a part of him.
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They continued exploring the folder, finding more files—blueprints, research notes, and progress reports. The system wasn't just a tool; it was the culmination of years of experimentation.
One document stood out: Project Parameters: Subject Selection.
Ethan skimmed the text, his heart sinking as he read:
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Subject Criteria:
1. High genetic compatibility.
2. Physical resilience under stress conditions.
3. Psychological adaptability.
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"Subject 001: Ethan Cross."
His name stared back at him from the screen, cold and impersonal.
"They planned this," he said, his voice barely audible.
"What do you mean?" Lila asked.
"They didn't just create the system," Ethan said, his fists clenching. "They created it for me."
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The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. His life, his struggles at the academy, the mysterious activation of the system—it had all been orchestrated.
But why?
Ethan stood abruptly, pacing the room as anger and confusion warred within him. "They used me. My own parents used me as some kind of experiment."
"Ethan, we don't know that for sure," Lila said, standing as well.
"Don't we?" he snapped, his voice rising. "They built this thing. They put it in me. And now it's killing me!"
Lila stepped back, her expression hurt.
Ethan immediately regretted his outburst. He took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "It's just... a lot."
Lila nodded. "I get it. But we'll figure this out, okay? Together."
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Ethan sat back down, his mind still racing. His parents' involvement changed everything. It wasn't just about surviving the system anymore—it was about uncovering the truth.
And the academy wasn't going to make that easy.
As Lila packed up her laptop, Ethan stared out the window, the moonlight casting long shadows across the room.
His parents had built the system. The academy was experimenting on cadets. And he was caught in the middle of it all.
But one thing was clear: he wouldn't stop until he uncovered the truth—even if it meant facing the shadows of his past.