The Last Code

Node 6

The lake was dark, stretching out endlessly in front of us. The moon's reflection rippled across the water, fractured and restless, like my thoughts. Fireflies glimmered around us, their soft glow syncing oddly with the thud of my heartbeat.

Suvi climbed off without a word, and I followed, my boots crunching against the frozen grass. She didn't look at me. Her eyes were locked on the water, like it held the answers we were both too afraid to ask.

I stayed behind her, hands stuffed into my pockets, and stared at the lake. The stillness of it felt loud. It was the kind of quiet that made you notice things you'd been trying to ignore—like the way your chest tightened when the world felt too big, or how your thoughts spiraled in the silence.

"I don't know how to feel about anything anymore," I said. My voice sounded small, like the words barely made it past my lips.

Suvi didn't move. For a second, I thought she didn't hear me, but then she spoke. "I get that." Her voice was low, careful. "Sometimes, it's like no matter what you do, you can't win. You're just... lost."

The word stuck with me. Lost. It felt too familiar, like it had been following me for years, waiting for me to finally notice.

I stared at her profile, the way the moonlight caught on her jaw, and something inside me twisted. "I lost my dad," I said suddenly. The words felt heavy, like I'd been holding them in for too long. "When Eden Beta fell apart. He was just... gone. No warning, no explanation. And I'd been trying to find him ever since."

Suvi turned to me, her eyes soft and steady, like she was trying to understand the weight of what I just said. But there was something in her gaze—something raw, like she knew exactly how it felt.

"Do you think you'll find him?" she asked.

I hesitated. "I don't know. I have to try, though. I can't just... stop. He's my dad. I can't let go of that."

Suvi didn't say anything for a moment. She looked back at the lake, her shoulders slumping just a little. "Don't lose yourself, Aiden," she said quietly. "Sometimes, when you're searching for someone else, you do everything but forget to hold onto yourself."

Her words settled into me, heavy but grounding. She didn't say it like a warning—it felt more like a reminder, like she'd been there and didn't want me to end up the same way.

Suvi shifted, her leg brushing against mine. It was such a small thing, but it made my chest tighten a little. It was like a wordless promise, like she was saying she was here, even if the world's chaos was pulling us in different directions. I felt that promise deep in my bones.

I let my hand fall by my side, a little closer to hers than I meant to. It was a simple touch, but it felt like everything. Like I'd found something in this messy, broken world that was worth fighting for.

"Don't worry," I said, my voice quieter than before.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe... it was okay to hope.

Suvi was about to say something when my wristband buzzed. I ignored it, thinking it was a stray notification or just Zeke's bad timing. But the buzz didn't stop. It was frantic.

I glanced down, annoyed at the interruption, but the words flashing on the screen made my stomach drop:

Emergency Protocol Activated. Unauthorized retrieval confirmed.

A cold rush of panic flooded through me.

"Aiden?" Suvi's voice pulled me back, sharp and urgent.

I fumbled with the wristband, opening the live feed. My hands were trembling so badly I could barely focus on the screen. When the feed finally loaded, the first thing I saw was my mom.

She was in the apartment. Two robots—silver, sleek, unfeeling—had her by the arms. She was fighting, her hands gripping the doorway, her mouth moving soundlessly.

"No... no, no, no," I whispered, the panic clenching at my throat.

"Aiden?" Suvi was beside me now, her hand on my arm, trying to ground me. "What's happening?"

"They've got her," I choked out. "The Architect's robots. They're taking my mom."

Her grip tightened. "We need to leave. Right now."

"I can't leave her!"

"If we stay, they'll take you too!" she snapped, her tone sharp enough to cut through the blur in my head. "You can't help her if you're caught, Aiden. Think!"

Her words slammed into me, cold and cruel and necessary. I wanted to fight, to scream, to run straight to my mom and rip those robots apart. But Suvi was right. If I went now, I'd lose everything.

My chest felt like it was caving in as I shut off the feed. "Get on the bike," I muttered.

Suvi didn't argue. She climbed on behind me, her arms wrapping tightly around my waist. Her presence was steady, a solid weight against my back, but it didn't stop the ache in my chest.

I started the bike, and we tore away from the lake. The fireflies blurred into streaks of light, the world around us fading into nothing but motion and noise.

"We'll get her back," Suvi yelled over the wind. Her voice was firm, unshakable.

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

Because all I could see was my mom's face—the fear in her eyes, the way she fought—and all I could think was that I wasn't there. I wasn't there to save her.

And now I didn't know if I ever could be.

All I knew was that I couldn't lose her. Not like this