The sound of Hills Morgan's voice froze every muscle in my body.
It was smooth — calm — like honey poured over poison.
Festus instinctively pulled me behind him, eyes darting through the shadows. "Hills," he growled. "Show yourself."
From behind a row of rusted machinery, a figure emerged. He was tall, dressed in a sleek black coat that shimmered faintly under the flickering warehouse lights. His eyes—cold, pale gray—met mine with unnerving precision, as though he could see straight into my thoughts.
> "You've grown, Kendra," Hills said softly. "You have your mother's eyes. Curious… and defiant."
My pulse thundered in my ears. "Where is she?" I demanded. "What have you done to my mother?"
A faint smile touched his lips. "Alive, for now. Her survival depends on your choices."
Festus stepped forward, rage burning through his calm. "You've done enough, Hills. End this!"
"End this?" Hills chuckled, the sound hollow. "Festus, you know better. This was never meant to end. Project Veil is evolution."
I could barely breathe. "You're destroying lives! You erased people!"
He tilted his head slightly. "Not destroyed, Kendra. Perfected. Humanity was flawed — bound by memory, by guilt, by pain. I gave them freedom. I gave them silence."
"You call erasing freedom?" I spat.
He smiled faintly. "You call it erasing. I call it mercy."
My fingers itched toward the flash drive in my pocket. "What do you want from me?"
"You," he said simply. "You're the final piece. Your mother's research was incomplete — her algorithm only worked halfway. But your neural pattern matches hers. With you, I can finish Project Veil."
My stomach turned. "You're insane."
"Insane?" He took a slow step closer, the hum of the machines around us growing louder. "No, Kendra. Visionary. Your parents saw what I saw — the end of a broken world. They tried to stop me, but deep down, they knew the truth: creation requires sacrifice."
Festus raised his gun. "Not tonight."
Hills didn't flinch. "You won't shoot me, Festus. You never could. You owe me your life."
I froze, glancing between them. "What is he talking about?"
Festus's grip trembled. "He's lying."
Hills smiled wider. "Oh, you didn't tell her? How disappointing. Tell her, Festus — who saved you the night her father died?"
I turned sharply. "What?"
Festus lowered the gun slightly, guilt flashing across his face. "Kendra, listen—"
"No!" My voice cracked. "Tell me!"
Hills's voice cut in, cool and deliberate. "When your father confronted me, Festus tried to protect him. But when the explosion started… he ran. I pulled him out. He left your father to die."
I felt my world tilt. "That's not true…"
Festus's silence was answer enough.
Tears burned behind my eyes, but anger surged stronger. "You both lied to me."
Hills stepped closer. "You see? Truth is heavier than lies. You're not built for it, Kendra. None of us are. But I can change that."
Before I could react, he snapped his fingers. The metallic box on the pedestal opened, releasing a pulse of blue light that tore through the air like lightning. The warehouse shook violently, lights flickering, walls groaning.
"Run!" Festus shouted, pulling me away.
I stumbled, shielding my eyes as the pulse intensified. The light crawled over the walls, distorting them — like the world itself was melting.
"Hills!" I screamed. "What are you doing?"
> "I'm showing you the future," he said calmly, his voice echoing through the chaos. "One where pain, loss, and memory no longer exist."
Festus grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a side exit. Behind us, the warehouse was collapsing in on itself, reality twisting like a dying flame.
We burst through the doors into the night, gasping for air. The building behind us shimmered once — then imploded into silence.
I turned, shaking, staring at the empty space where the warehouse had been. "It's gone…"
Festus clutched his side, blood staining his sleeve. "He's accelerating Project Veil. That pulse — it's rewriting reality. Hills has crossed the line."
I knelt beside him, heart racing. "Then we stop him. Whatever it takes."
He looked at me, eyes filled with fear and pride. "Then you'll need to find the second key."
"The second key?" I whispered.
Festus nodded weakly. "Your mother hid it… inside her memories."
My blood ran cold. "But… she's trapped."
He coughed. "Exactly. And now, Kendra, you'll have to go where no one comes back."
His voice faded as the sound of distant sirens grew closer. I stared at the night sky, my heart breaking and burning at once.
If Mom's mind holds the second key… then I'll find a way inside.
Even if it means stepping into the same darkness that almost destroyed her.