Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 42: "Children of the Flame"
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The sky above the Lazarus ruins churned with dark clouds as if the earth itself sensed the awakening beneath its surface. Dust and ash swirled in the air as Kara stood at the edge of the breach, glowing faintly like a living ember. Behind her, the awakened subjects—pale, expressionless, and eerily synchronized—followed silently, their eyes echoing the same strange light within her.
Adrian stepped cautiously toward her. "Kara… talk to me. What happened down there?"
Kara's gaze was fixed ahead, unblinking. "We were created for this. To bring about the Omega Phase… or to stop it."
Tessa, still bruised from the earlier blast, looked at the newly emerged figures with growing unease. "They look human—but they're not, are they?"
Kara turned to face them. "They're what I could've become if I hadn't escaped. Enhanced. Conditioned. Controlled. But the override I triggered broke their bindings… for now."
Ronan raised his weapon. "Then we finish it now. Before they fall back under Vane's control."
"No!" Kara shouted, stepping between him and the others. "They're not the enemy. Not yet. They're victims—like me."
Adrian stepped beside her. "Then we help them. But we also prepare for what comes next."
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Inside the Core Command Center
Far below, buried within the remains of the facility, Vane limped through a hallway filled with debris and dying lights. His expression was unreadable—part satisfaction, part dread.
A distorted voice buzzed through his damaged earpiece. "Sir. Contingency Delta is ready. Shall we proceed?"
Vane wiped blood from his temple and stared into a cracked mirror. "No. Let them taste hope first. Then burn it down."
Behind him, a machine thrummed back to life—deeper, older, far more dangerous than anything the team had seen.
"Phase Two is already underway," he whispered. "They'll never be ready."
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Safehouse – Later That Night
The team had retreated to an abandoned train yard turned hideout, rigged with sensors and shields. Kara sat apart from the others, a blanket draped over her shoulders as she watched the newly awakened—now asleep or sitting quietly, processing their fragile freedom.
Adrian joined her, placing a steaming cup beside her.
"You okay?"
She shook her head. "No. I remember flashes. Being strapped down. Waking up, again and again, with different names. Different lies. But there was always one constant—pain."
He reached for her hand. "You're not alone anymore."
She glanced sideways, tears brimming in her eyes. "But what if the power inside me… hurts you? Hurts them?"
Adrian squeezed her hand. "Then we'll face it together. Every step."
A sudden shriek echoed from one of the new subjects. The team jumped into action. The boy—no older than seventeen—thrashed violently, veins lighting up like molten fire.
Mara scanned him. "It's a cascade failure! His body's rejecting the override!"
Kara rushed to him, her hands glowing as she knelt beside him.
"Shh… it's okay," she whispered, placing her palms over his chest.
With a pulse of light, the seizure ceased. The boy's breathing slowed. His eyes met hers—calm, grateful.
Adrian watched in awe. "You stabilized him."
"I didn't… I just felt what he felt," Kara said. "And I gave him peace."
Ronan muttered, "That wasn't science. That was something else."
Kara stood. "Whatever they did to me… they woke something deeper."
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Elsewhere – The Black Chamber
Inside a secluded base cloaked from satellites and sensors, a council of figures stood in a circle of firelight. Monitors displayed Kara's image.
"She's evolving," one said.
"She's a threat," said another.
The eldest leaned forward. "She's the key to the new world. But only if she can survive what comes next."
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—eyes burning like coals. A woman.
"I'll handle her," she said. "After all, I'm her sister."
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To be continued…
🔥 Blood ties, rising powers, and an enemy born of the same fire. The next chapter could rewrite everything.
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