The dim light of Cipher's hidden hideout glowed over concrete walls. In a sparsely furnished room lined with flickering monitors and tangled cables, Riven and Lucy sat side by side on a battered metal bench. Their expressions were pensive, haunted by memories of kidnappings and narrow escapes. Cipher, standing at the far end of the room, casually placed his hands in his pockets as if his casual posture belied the weight of his revelations.
"I need to know every detail," Riven said softly, his eyes intense. "Tell us everything that happened.
Cipher inclined his head slowly and began, his voice low and measured. "I've been tracking every anomaly since that night. The Execution Code is more than what you experience—it's an implant. And our ordeal wasn't an accident."
Before he could continue, Cipher's gaze shifted as if signaling someone. Out of nowhere, as if materializing from the very shadows, a young man appeared. He was dressed in a sleek black jacket paired with blue pants, blending seamlessly with the darkness. The newcomer moved with an eerie silence, his presence nearly ghost-like.
Cipher gestured with a subtle nod. "Lucy, Riven—meet Jason. He's another Executioner."
Riven's eyes widened in surprise. "Where did he come from? How did he just…appear?"
Cipher smirked. "That, my friend, is Jason's talent: Camouflage. He can blend in, infiltrate anywhere—sneak undetected by even the most secure systems. That makes him the perfect tracker."
Lucy crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between Jason and Cipher. " He is the tracker you planted on Cigar?"
"Yes." Cipher's tone turned grave as he began pacing slowly. "For some time now, we've had an idea—an audacious plan—to infiltrate Death Protocol from within. But we couldn't approach it head-on. Two days ago, Jason volunteered for a covert mission: he infiltrated Death Protocol's secured lab."
He paused, letting the words sink in. "According to a document Jason recovered, the old Execution Code system is over twenty years old. The data is murky—you'll find discrepancies in every byte. Who made it or why remains unclear, but one thing is evident: Death Protocol, along with other shadow players, have been implanting these chips in children as young as five. Not every child survives the testing, and among those who do, only a few ever unlock their potential and becomes and executioner. Some are locked early, others remain dormant. I'm still piecing together what it all means, but it is undeniable proof that everything is a scheme."
Riven's jaw clenched. "So, we're nothing but lab rats? I thought the Execution Code was a gift—a divine power to cleanse evil. Instead, I'm just a tool, meant to do the bidding of higher powers."
Cipher's gaze hardened. "All that doesn't matter now. What matters is our next step. Death Protocol is already making its move, and they're coming for you again. This gives us the window we need. We strike when they show their hand."
Lucy's eyes narrowed in determination. "Just the four of us, then?"
Cipher shook his head slowly. "We are all we have. It's you, Riven, Lucy, and the new blood—Jason, along with Klaus, Rita, and everyone else who's still standing." Lucy cut in " I don't know if we can trust then."
Unbeknownst to them, in a darkened corner of the room, a figure with the same camouflage ability as Jason observed silently—an unseen messenger whose eyes recorded every word and every plan. Every secret, every revelation, was being transmitted directly to Cigar and the shadowy council.
Cipher continued, leaning against a wall. "Look—the Execution Code is a lie. It's not a divine mandate; it's a manufactured implant. The children you saved, the ones rescued from trafficking—they were all subjects in a secret facility deep beneath Death Protocol HQ. They were tested, exploited… if they failed, they were discarded."
Lucy's eyes widened, a mixture of horror and disbelief crossing her features. "Then it must be Cigar… he must be behind this."
Cipher's tone grew bitter. "you told Cigar about your potential, about Riven's rapid leveling. He must have his reasons for locking you in. But if the system is just a tool—a tool to select, use, and discard—then we need to understand it. We have to find out who's really pulling the strings."
Riven's voice was low, laced with irony and pain. "I thought I was special. That I was chosen to clean the world of evil. But if this is all a sham, then I'm just another cog in their machine."
Cipher shook his head. " Like i said that doesn't matter anymore. We have the chance to use their system against them. If Death Protocol comes for you again, we'll strike. But we need to be ready."
Lucy's tone turned steely as she interjected, "If Cigar wants to keep using us, then we'll show him we're not so easy to control."
Riven looked from Lucy to Cipher, conflicted yet resolute. "Then what do we do now?"
Cipher's eyes flickered with a grim determination. "We wait. Observe. And plan our next move when Death Protocol makes its move to reclaim you. We'll use that opportunity to strike."
Before their conversation could continue, a subtle shift in the ambient noise caught everyone's attention. The camouflaged observer had vanished, its presence confirmed only by a faint echo in the digital feed—an uninvited transmission to the council above.
Lucy scanned the room, then looked at Riven, her voice soft but urgent. "We can't let them have us at their mercy. We need to be ready to fight."
Riven nodded, his eyes burning with determination.
The room fell silent, each member of the team lost in their thoughts, planning, and the weight of the future. Cipher's words echoed in their minds—each one a challenge, a dare to unravel the lies of the system.