Kain stood frozen, his thoughts colliding like broken shards of glass.
The Cipher Lords weren't just rulers of the underground—they were architects of reality itself.
And now, The Wraith wanted him to help tear them down.
He let out a slow breath. "You're asking me to go to war against the people who built me."
The Wraith's voice was cold. "I'm asking you to survive."
Silence stretched between them. Kain's fingers twitched toward his dagger. He had killed for the Cipher Lords, buried his conscience beneath layers of blood and duty.
But if what The Wraith said was true…
He had never been anything more than a disposable pawn.
His gaze flicked to the terminal—his name, glowing on the erasure list.
The decision had already been made for him.
Kain exhaled, locking eyes with The Wraith. "What's the plan?"
The Wraith's lips curled into a thin smile. "First, we get you off that list."
---
The Game Begins
The Wraith moved swiftly, fingers dancing across the encrypted files. "Your erasure order hasn't been executed yet, which means we still have time. But once the Cipher Lords realize you've gone dark, they'll send someone to finish the job."
Kain's jaw tightened. "Who?"
The screen flickered. A single file opened, revealing an operative designation.
E-07.
Kain's breath hitched. "You're kidding."
The Wraith shook their head. "You know them?"
Kain swallowed hard. "Yeah. I trained them."
A chill settled in the room. The Cipher Lords wouldn't send just anyone to erase him. They sent a hunter.
His best student.
---
The Hunter in the Dark
Kain turned from the screen. "If E-07 is coming, we don't have time to sit here decrypting files. We need to move."
The Wraith nodded. "Agreed. But we can't run blind."
They tapped a hidden compartment in the wall, revealing a small holo-drive. "This contains a backdoor into the Cipher Lords' internal network. If we can upload it, we gain access to their surveillance grid."
Kain frowned. "And where exactly do we upload it?"
The Wraith's smirk was sharp. "The heart of the Veil."
Kain swore under his breath. "You mean—"
"The Central Node," The Wraith confirmed. "If we breach it, we don't just erase your execution order. We expose the entire system."
It was madness.
It was suicide.
And yet, as Kain's eyes drifted back to his name on that erasure list…
It was the only move left on the board.
His fingers curled into fists. "Then let's make our first move."