Chapter 5 – Whispers of the Erased
The soft hum of the holo-table filled the dimly lit interrogation room, casting a faint blue glow over Detective Adrian Wolfe's sharp features. Across from him, Lucian Graves sat in silence, his mind still replaying the night's events—the red-eyed machines, the eerie mechanical voices, the unnatural way his body had reacted in battle, as if it had done this a thousand times before.
Wolfe finally leaned forward, breaking the silence. "You don't seem surprised that your attackers weren't human."
Lucian exhaled, keeping his expression neutral. "I don't jump to conclusions."
Wolfe smirked slightly, but his eyes remained sharp with analysis. "Fair enough. But let's start with something simple. The bodies—where are they?"
Lucian barely hesitated. "Still at the scene. I came here immediately after the attack."
Wolfe nodded, tapping the side of his holo-table. His assistant, Officer Marlowe, appeared on a side screen.
"Marlowe, I want the surveillance footage from Dr. Graves' neighborhood. Full spectrum—public and private feeds. Also, secure a forensic team for a site investigation."
Marlowe raised an eyebrow. "You think they left fingerprints?"
"I think they left something," Wolfe muttered before shifting his gaze back to Lucian. "You're taking me to the scene."
Lucian merely nodded. "I expected as much."
Wolfe stood, adjusting his coat. "Your brother was there when it happened. I'll need to question him too."
Lucian's jaw tightened slightly, but he forced himself to relax. "Understood."
---
The Drive to the Crime Scene
The sleek, AI-driven police cruiser cut through the neon-lit streets as they made their way toward the Graves residence. Wolfe sat in the front seat, his fingers drumming lightly against the dashboard, deep in thought.
Then, without looking at Lucian, he said, "You're not just brains, are you?"
Lucian smirked faintly. "Daily workout."
Wolfe chuckled, shaking his head. "Daily workout, huh? I don't know many researchers who can take down two high-end mechs on their own."
Lucian shrugged. "I'm not even sure they were assassins. Could've been some malfunctioning tech."
Wolfe gave him a sideways glance. "Malfunctioning tech… specifically targeting you?"
Lucian had no answer for that.
---
The Scene – Wolfe's Investigation Begins
As they arrived, police drones hovered above the property, scanning the area while forensic teams worked on-site. The two mechs lay in the same spot where Lucian had left them—one slumped against the wall, its synthetic throat ruptured; the other sprawled across the floor, limbs twisted unnaturally.
Wolfe crouched beside one of the fallen machines, adjusting his glasses as he examined the exposed internal wiring. He didn't speak for a long time.
Then, he finally muttered, "Not civilian tech. Military-grade hardware, at the very least."
Lucian crossed his arms. "You're sure?"
Wolfe shot him a dry look. "Dr. Graves, I know the difference between a black-market bot and something built for war."
Lucian exhaled slowly, tension settling deeper in his chest. If these machines were military-grade, that meant someone with serious resources wanted him dead—or at the very least, wanted to test him.
Wolfe stood, dusting off his coat. "Alright. Time to talk to your brother."
---
Noah's Account of the Attack
Noah sat on the couch, his wristband holo-interface flickering as he scrolled absently. The young man looked exhausted, his usual energy replaced by a mix of unease and confusion.
Wolfe pulled up a chair across from him. "Noah, walk me through exactly what happened."
Noah hesitated, glancing at Lucian before answering.
"I was in a VR game with my friends—it was a big event. I had my headset on, totally immersed. Then, suddenly, my power supply got cut off. Never happened before."
Wolfe's eyes narrowed. "Your entire system shut down?"
Noah nodded. "Yeah. Everything. At first, I thought it was a blackout, but the house lights were fine. Then I heard… something. A noise I didn't recognize."
Lucian frowned. "What kind of noise?"
Noah swallowed. "Voices. But not normal ones. It was mechanical. Repeating the same thing over and over."
Wolfe leaned in. "What did they say?"
Noah's hands curled into fists as he repeated it, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Lucian. Lucian. Target not found."
A silence settled over the room.
Lucian felt his pulse quicken. Target not found?
Wolfe was the first to speak. "They were scanning for you."
Noah nodded. "Yeah. And before I could check what was happening, I called my brother. Then I grabbed my shockwave gun, just in case."
Lucian exhaled through his nose. Noah wasn't a fighter, but he was smart—enough to arm himself instead of running blindly into danger.
Noah continued, "I was about to move when I heard them again. But this time… they weren't searching. They had found something."
Wolfe tilted his head. "Found what?"
Noah hesitated before answering. "…Me."
Lucian stiffened. "They targeted you?"
Noah shook his head. "Not right away. They were still looking for you. But as soon as you arrived, one of them grabbed me. Almost like… like they wanted to see how you'd react."
Lucian's jaw clenched. "You didn't mention that before."
Noah looked down. "I didn't know what to think. It all happened too fast."
Wolfe exhaled, rubbing his temples. "So they weren't just malfunctioning. They were watching. Testing. And only when Lucian arrived did they engage."
Lucian's stomach turned. This wasn't an assassination attempt. It was something worse. A field test.
---
Wolfe's Conclusion – A Bigger Threat
Wolfe walked back toward the fallen mechs, his mind clearly running through possibilities.
Finally, he spoke. "Dr. Graves, you're officially a person of interest."
Lucian arched a brow. "For what, exactly?"
Wolfe smirked, but there was no humor in it. "For whatever the hell this is." He gestured toward the ruined mechs. "These aren't just hitmen, and they sure as hell aren't rogue AI. Someone sent them to find you, and when they couldn't, they used your brother as bait."
Lucian ran a hand through his hair, his frustration mounting. "And what do you plan to do about it?"
Wolfe sighed. "For now? Investigate. I need access to restricted military archives to see if these models match anything in official records."
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "And if they don't?"
Wolfe looked at him, his expression unreadable. "Then we'll know someone's building weapons off the books."
Lucian exhaled, shaking his head. "I need answers, Wolfe."
Wolfe nodded. "So do I. Which is why I'm bringing you into something. There's a name that's been coming up in restricted files—a researcher who vanished years ago. His name is—"
Wolfe pulled up his holo-table, showing a government blacklist. One name stood out.
Dr. Elias Reeve.
Lucian's breath caught in his throat.
That name. He had never heard it in this life, but his mind immediately filled with a memory he should not have.
A dimly lit lab. Blood on the walls. A voice whispering, "We should have never tampered with time."
His pulse thundered in his ears.
His past was bleeding into the present.
Wolfe studied him carefully. "That name means something to you."
Lucian remained silent as he stared at the name flickering on the holo-screen. Dr. Elias Reeve. The moment he saw it, something deep in his mind shifted—not a memory he consciously recalled, but one that forced itself upon him.
It again echoed in his mind.
A laboratory bathed in red light. Blood on the walls. A voice—distorted, distant—whispering, "We should have never tampered with time."
But that made no sense. His past-life memories had always been clear until they suddenly became hazy. And yet, this memory, this doctor—it felt like something from after those blurred edges.
Lucian forced himself to breathe evenly, keeping his expression neutral.
Wolfe didn't miss the reaction. His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses, studying Lucian like a puzzle with missing pieces.
Lucian exhaled. "I want to know—when did this Dr. Elias Reeve disappear?"
Wolfe flicked through the records, then answered, "Not recently. Around 60 to 70 years ago."
Lucian frowned. "Then why are you telling me history, Wolfe? What does some missing scientist from decades ago have to do with me?"
Wolfe tapped the side of the holo-table. The screen zoomed in on a mechanical schematic—a detailed breakdown of the fallen synthetic assassins.
"Because these models are history, Dr. Graves."
Lucian's breath hitched.
He knew them.
Not from this life.
From before.
These weren't just assassins. He had seen these machines on a battlefield that no longer existed.
They were war machines from his past life.
Impossible.
Lucian clenched his jaw, forcing himself to shove the memory down, to deny it.
He didn't want to know. Didn't want to remember.
He gave Wolfe a blank stare. "I don't follow."
Wolfe tilted his head slightly, watching him too closely. "No reaction at all? No curiosity?"
Lucian leaned back, feigning disinterest. "I'm an aerospace researcher, not a historian. If someone rebuilt these things, that's your jurisdiction, not mine."
Wolfe smirked faintly. "Well, your fiancée is a historian. And you studied history quite a lot yourself. You're basically a celebrity, Dr. Graves—your life isn't that confidential."
Lucian exhaled, shaking his head. "That was just an interest. That doesn't make me a historian."
Wolfe gave a small chuckle but didn't push further.
---
Vera's Arrival – A Mask of Concern
Before Wolfe could press further, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the entrance hall.
Vera Kain.
She rushed inside, her face tense with worry, her dark eyes scanning the room until they landed on Noah.
"Noah!" She exhaled in relief, walking straight toward him. "Are you alright? I heard what happened."
Noah nodded, still looking a little pale but forcing a grin. "I'm fine. Just—shaken up."
Then Vera turned to Lucian. Her expression softened, her body tense as if debating something—then she moved in and wrapped her arms around him.
Lucian let out a slow breath, finally allowing himself to relax.
She clung to him, her fingers tightening against his back. "I was so worried."
Lucian gently placed a hand on her waist, his own tension fading as he held her close. "…Everything's alright now."
She pulled back just enough to study his face, eyes searching for reassurance. "…Is it?"
Lucian gave her a small smile. "It will be."
He wasn't just saying it for her sake—he truly felt it. Vera had always been his grounding force, his anchor. The fact that she came rushing here for his family only proved what he already knew—she was someone he could always trust.
---
Wolfe's Final Observation
Vera finally let go, stepping back but keeping one hand lightly on Lucian's arm.
Wolfe adjusted his glasses. "Well, this has been fascinating."
Lucian arched a brow. "Something you'd like to say, detective?"
Wolfe smirked. "Not yet. But I will."
Lucian exhaled. "So what now?"
Wolfe's gaze flickered toward the broken mechs one last time. "Now? I dig. And you try not to die before I find something useful."
Lucian rolled his eyes. "Comforting."
Wolfe turned toward the door, then paused, glancing between him and Vera. "Nice couple."
Vera smiled warmly. "Thanks."
Lucian gave her hand a light squeeze. For now, he'd focus on what mattered—keeping his family safe.
But deep down, he knew…
This was only the beginning.
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[ End of Chapter 5 ]