Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
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Episode 68: "The Puppet Master's Game"
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The woman's footsteps echoed ominously as she approached the shattered console, her eyes gleaming with calculated menace. Kara's breath hitched, her mind scrambling to place this new player in the tangled web of betrayal.
"Who… who are you?" Kara demanded, raising her fists, every muscle coiled for the fight she knew was inevitable.
She smiled coldly, voice dripping with venom. "Name's Selene. And unlike Elias, I don't just run the Lazarus Protocol—I own it."
Vane snarled beside her, but Selene cut him off with a sharp glance. "Quiet, Elias. You're nothing but a pawn in my game."
Kara's blood boiled. She had come here to end the nightmare, but the nightmare had just multiplied.
"Why are you doing this?" Kara asked, voice shaking but steady.
Selene's smile twisted. "Because control is the only truth in this world. And I intend to bend it all to my will—starting with you."
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Back in the Tunnels
Adrian's comm crackled urgently. "Kara, we've got company. Heavies just breached the outer defenses. Get ready for a fight."
Ronan's voice followed, tense. "This place just became a war zone. We move fast or we don't move at all."
Tessa's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I'm holding their comms offline, but only for so long. We need Kara to end this before they swarm."
Adrenaline surged as the team braced themselves. The walls that once whispered secrets now screamed danger.
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Kara Faces the Mastermind
Selene stepped forward, eyes glittering with cruel amusement. "You think your strength lies in defiance? No. It lies in submission. You will be the key to the next phase—Phase Omega."
Kara's body pulsed with something fierce, something wild. The memories, the pain, the love—it all fueled her.
"You're wrong," Kara said, voice low and steady. "My strength is my choice. And I choose to fight."
The room exploded into chaos as Kara lunged forward, a blazing storm of fury and light.
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The Battle Unfolds
Metal clanged as they collided, power against power, will against will.
Selene's calculated strikes met Kara's raw determination. Vane, recovering, joined the fray with vicious precision.
But Kara's resolve was unbreakable. She dodged, countered, and pushed forward—each move a declaration that she was no one's puppet.
Adrian's voice came through the comm: "Kara, we're breaching the core. You're running out of time."
Her vision blurred with sweat and tears, but she kept moving—because failure wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever.
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A Fracture in the Shadows
Suddenly, Selene faltered, eyes wide in disbelief. "No… this can't be."
A sharp crack tore through the air as a hidden blast rocked the chamber.
Ronan burst in, firing a pulse rifle that forced Selene to stumble back.
"Team's here!" Adrian's voice rang out, steady and sure.
Kara seized the moment, driving Selene back with a powerful surge that lit the room like the dawn of a new fire.
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Aftermath
Selene retreated, her eyes burning with promise and threat. "This isn't over, Kara. The fire in you will burn us all. But remember — every flame dies."
Kara stood, chest heaving, the weight of the moment crashing down.
Adrian reached her side, voice quiet but fierce. "You just sparked a revolution."
Kara met his gaze, fire burning brighter than ever. "Then let's make sure it's the last one they ever see."
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To be continued…
🔥 The fire rages, the stakes climb higher. Follow Ashes of Our Flame by RapwizzyDebaron for the next heart-pounding chapter. Vote, comment, and stay ready — the war for truth has only begun.