The Fractured Code: System Crash

Part 9 : The Truth in the Shadows

I stare at Cass, my mind struggling to process everything that’s just been revealed. Memories erased. A covert mission. Death. I feel like a stranger in my own skin.

"Save me?" I echoe, disbelief coloring my tone. "You erased my memories, and now you expect me to trust you?"

Cass doesn’t flinch. “Trust is earned, Rowan. But right now, you don’t have a choice. I’m your only option.” She leans back in her chair, her eyes narrowing as if watching something beyond me, lost in thought. “There are people who’ll kill you just for knowing the truth. And they’re coming.”

My hands tremble as they I the folder tighter. "What did I do? What was the mission?"

Cass pushes herself up from the desk, walking over to the cluttered wall covered in old photos, maps, and files. She pulls down a faded photograph—an image of a group of people, all in tactical gear, standing in front of an unknown building. There’s a woman at the far left, a man with a scar on his cheek at the far right, and then me—Rowan Cade—at the center, younger but unmistakable.

“That was your team,” Cass says quietly. “You were the leader. And you made the call that went wrong.” She turns to face me, a dark expression clouding her features. “We were sent in to stop a terrorist cell from acquiring biological weapons. We were supposed to eliminate the threat… but the mission was compromised.”

“Compromised how?” I asks, leaning forward, the edge of fear creeping into my voice.

Cass exhales sharply, her face hardening. "Your team was ambushed, caught in a trap. The cell was working with a much larger group. You were supposed to extract a package. But that package…" Her voice falters. “It was you."

My blood runs cold. “What?”

Cass meets my gaze, the weight of the words heavy between us. “You were the one who was hidden. You were part of a much darker plan—your mind was the key. They implanted something inside you, a virus, a weapon. And it was supposed to be activated only in case of emergency.” She pauses, as if reconsidering. “But when everything fell apart, you lost control.”

I take a step back, my breath catching in my throat. The room feels smaller now, suffocating. “I was… a weapon? I didn’t know?”

Cass nods slowly. “The memories were erased to keep you from becoming a threat. But something—someone—wants you back. They want to finish what they started.”

Just then, the door bursts open with a loud bang.

"Move!"

Cass shoves me behind the desk as the sound of boots pounding against the floor echoes through the warehouse. A group of armed men storms into the room—masked, professional, and deadly.

I barely had time to react as Cass pulls out two guns, aiming them with precision. She fires, hitting the first two men in quick succession. But there are too many.

One of them spots me.

“There you are.” The voice is distorted, cold.

Before I can move, Cass grabs my arm and yanks me into the shadows, forcing me to run toward the back exit.

“We have to go, now!” she orders, her face grim as she leads the way.

As we burst into the alley, the cold night air stings my skin. The sound of the men chasing us grows louder.

“This way!” Cass shouts, turning down a narrow side street.

I don't hesitate. I follow her, but my mind is reeling—who am I? What did I become? And why is everyone hunting me down?