
Jayden froze.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA9yDE5dRIh7
His eyes locked onto the figure imprisoned behind a cold, steel wall that had slowly peeled open almost mockingly, like it was welcoming him into a nightmare. There was no doubt. The man inside, blood trailing down from his eyes like tears, his body a living map of pain and old wounds... was Elliot Crowe.
Jayden’s brother.
The brother he'd believed to be dead for seven long years.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAWiylBmbR6A
Elliot’s past was riddled with darkness: a soldier, an elite interrogator, and eventually, a suspect in the massacre of fellow soldiers during a black ops mission the government had buried. Jayden had been assigned to investigate that very case had signed off on the official report that Elliot had taken his own life.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAHXSKCSXVYv
But now… staring into those hollow eyes, that truth began to shatter.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA39mXh84spF
“How… how are you here?!”
Jayden shouted, lunging toward the steel barrier with bare hands, desperate to reach him.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAjTrPRVzEIW
Before he could get close, The Host’s voice rumbled from above, smooth and cold as ever:
55Please respect copyright.PENANAftWfascJiI
“This is not a reunion. It is a reminder of what you chose to forget… and what you chose to bury.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANADv9qA05VqZ
The ceiling lights flared on, revealing a massive chamber. Jayden spun around.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA4dOapASD6G
More prisoners were being dragged into the room people who had vanished off the grid. One of them was Naomi Vasquez, the journalist who had chased after the truth behind The Chosen Eye, a secret society linked to countless disappearances. Two others were former inmates ghosts from Jayden’s past investigations.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAfoCdLneOhx
Rhea stepped beside him.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA4OpWs9kGtW
“Your brother’s not the only ghost in this place.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAUowNSWyTEj
Meanwhile, Ezra was bent over a hand-built device made from scraps of copper and wire. With it, he’d gained a brief tap into one of the compound’s interior feeds. What he found made the air freeze.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAAN9lzRaqB7
A grainy surveillance clip. Jayden… in conversation with a hooded figure. The audio was low, but clear enough.
55Please respect copyright.PENANArPWi9mukwn
“If Elliot talks, we’re all exposed. Make sure the file disappears. Burn everything.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANArEEcgkEIbj
Jayden staggered back.
His voice. Clear as day. But… he had no memory of ever saying those words.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA0cjJD8orbs
“That’s... impossible.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANA5ZEQo0ArK7
Dr. Lena Mbeki’s eyes met Jayden’s. Her gaze held no accusation just understanding.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAudSjmnzryW
“This place isn’t a prison. It’s a mirror. And it’s showing you the version of yourself you tried to erase.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAg41Z1Hott9
Suddenly, a steel door groaned open.
55Please respect copyright.PENANACGMbPTBTGb
The same door that had been sealed with a crimson warning:
“Do Not Open Unless Ready.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAr7X2Al0OJy
Everyone stood still.
55Please respect copyright.PENANALpz8Z2b2bw
And then… the voice returned.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAmNhTbneTVz
“One of you knows the truth about why Elliot was buried. Open the door, and the price will be betrayal.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAHgrbs7Fs5p
Jayden stepped forward.
Rhea placed a hand on his shoulder.
55Please respect copyright.PENANArv186EII0r
“Are you sure? What if this is exactly what they want?”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAXHFgcxLNYo
He glanced at the camera embedded in the top corner of the room.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAHHQ0sTuerf
“I need to know… if I’m the villain in my own story.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAjpsPMjim47
Jayden turned the handle.
The door creaked open revealing a room flooded with screens. Footage, images, and recordings looped relentlessly.
55Please respect copyright.PENANA5UoeL20w1T
They showed Jayden. Rhea. And the man behind the mask -The Host discussing something called “the final protocol of silence.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAfrcZEbdnlz
Then, Jayden’s voice again calm, resolved:
55Please respect copyright.PENANAFFKRT3Vug2
“They won’t stop until we destroy each other. If silence is the only way… then let it be eternal.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAzccjPYctOe
Jayden collapsed to his knees.
His face pale. His breathing shallow.
Tears sliding down as his voice cracked:
55Please respect copyright.PENANAQOlGALS53k
“What did I become…?”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAUgTlRPj6ja
Elsewhere, inside the dark cell, Elliot opened his eyes.
55Please respect copyright.PENANAGU16RcSIxH
He looked straight into the camera and whispe
55Please respect copyright.PENANA7g8mgwhvfD
red, for the first time:
55Please respect copyright.PENANAQLibcRgY24
“Jayden… you put me here.”
55Please respect copyright.PENANAfVRYQn1tPH
55Please respect copyright.PENANAZg1QpnnomP
🩸 To Be Continued...
55Please respect copyright.PENANAGJV4rpepse