Chapter 25: Shadows of Betrayal
Author: MrLostLetter
Ethan's mind was sharper than ever. The Codex was no longer a distant hum—it was a constant presence, guiding his instincts with terrifying precision. Every movement, every breath, was calculated. Yet beneath the control he projected, he could feel something unraveling.
Dorian stood by the doorway, his weapon ready, eyes scanning the corridor for any sign of Nemesis. Lena was beside Ethan, her pulse pistol gripped tightly, her knuckles white.
"They're coming," Dorian muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan's gaze didn't leave the door, but he felt the tension in the air.
"How many?"
"Too many."
Dorian's jaw clenched.
"Are they... upgraded?" Lena's voice was quieter now, but the fear beneath her words was unmistakable.
"Definitely." Dorian's implants flickered briefly, processing the data faster than any human mind could.
Ethan's grip on his pulse blade tightened.
"Then we need to move. Now."
"Wait."
Lena's voice stopped him cold.
"We can't just run, Ethan. Not this time."
Ethan's jaw clenched.
"I'm not suggesting we run."
Lena's eyes met his, searching for something—anything—that would reassure her.
"Then what's the plan?"
Ethan's mind was already calculating every possible outcome.
"We hold them off. Buy ourselves enough time to override the Codex's trace."
"That's suicide," Dorian murmured, his voice tight.
"Maybe," Ethan admitted, his expression hardening. "But if they track us now, we won't get another chance."
Lena's expression was a mix of fear and determination.
"Ethan... are you sure?"
Ethan's jaw tightened, but he nodded.
"I'm sure."
---
The air in the corridor was thick with tension as they moved toward the exit. Ethan led the way, his senses heightened, every sound amplified by the Codex's influence. He could feel the energy pulsing through his veins, his body moving faster and more efficiently than ever before. But it came with a price.
"You feel it, don't you?"
Crowe's voice was a whisper in the back of his mind, but it was louder now, more insistent.
"You're not just faster, Ethan. You're becoming something more."
Ethan's jaw clenched as he forced the voice down.
Not now.
"Clear," Dorian whispered as they reached the outer corridor.
But Ethan's instincts screamed otherwise.
"No."
Dorian froze.
"They're here."
A heartbeat later, the air was filled with the sound of approaching footsteps. Heavy. Measured. Nemesis.
"Move!"
Ethan's body reacted before his mind fully processed the command. He pushed Lena behind cover, his pulse blade igniting as Nemesis emerged from the shadows.
But this wasn't the Nemesis they had faced before.
This version was faster. Smarter.
And it was learning.
---
"Adaptation protocols active."
Ethan's mind processed the information instantly, the Codex feeding him data faster than he could think. Nemesis's systems had evolved—upgraded neural algorithms designed to counter Ethan's enhanced abilities.
"Ethan!"
Lena's voice snapped him back to reality just as a plasma bolt grazed past him, scorching the wall behind him.
"You can't beat him, Ethan."
Crowe's voice was quieter now, but it was still there.
"Not like this."
"Shut up," Ethan muttered under his breath, his eyes locked onto Nemesis.
"Ethan..."
Lena's voice was filled with concern, but Ethan couldn't look away.
"Stay back."
Dorian was already moving, his pulse rifle aimed at Nemesis, but Ethan knew it wouldn't be enough.
"Cover me," Ethan ordered, his voice steadier than he felt.
"Ethan, wait—"
But it was too late.
Ethan was already moving.
---
Time slowed as Ethan's body surged forward, his mind calculating every possible angle, every possible strike. His pulse blade met Nemesis's enhanced armor, sparks flying as the two forces collided.
Nemesis adapted instantly, its movements faster, more precise.
"He's learning faster than before."
Ethan's jaw clenched as he adjusted, his reflexes matching Nemesis's increased speed. But the Codex was feeding him more than just reflexes.
It was feeding him knowledge.
Knowledge that wasn't his.
"Ethan!"
Lena's voice echoed in the distance, but Ethan's focus was locked on Nemesis. His movements weren't his own anymore. They were... Crowe's.
Ethan felt it. The shift.
"Let me take over."
Crowe's voice was smooth, confident.
"We can end this. Together."
Ethan's grip on his pulse blade tightened.
No.
"Ethan!"
Lena's voice was louder now, closer.
"Don't let him in!"
Ethan's vision blurred for a moment, the line between his thoughts and Crowe's becoming thinner.
"I'm not... letting him in," Ethan murmured through gritted teeth, but his body was already moving differently.
"Ethan, you're not—"
"I've got this!"
But deep down, Ethan wasn't sure if he was still in control.
---
Nemesis adjusted again, anticipating Ethan's next strike before he even made it.
"You're too slow."
Crowe's voice was a whisper, but it echoed louder than anything else.
"Let me help."
Ethan's heart pounded, his breath ragged as he struggled to maintain control.
"Ethan..."
Lena's voice was barely above a whisper now.
"Don't..."
Ethan's eyes flickered, the Codex's pulse growing stronger.
"I won't let him win."
But as Nemesis's next strike came faster than he could react...
Ethan wasn't sure who he was talking about anymore.
---
Next Chapter: Chapter 26: The Core's Deception