Ashes of Our Flame
by RapwizzyDebaron
---
Episode 93: "The Breach"
---
The chopper soared above the burning wasteland where Lazarus once stood—now reduced to scorched earth and ash. Kara sat quietly by the window, clutching the crystal like it was the last piece of her soul. Her reflection in the glass showed more than exhaustion; it held a storm of memories she wasn't ready to confront.
Adrian sat beside her, his hand gently covering hers.
"We did it," he whispered.
"No," she replied softly. "We just peeled off the mask. The real monster is still out there."
From across the cabin, Zero turned to face them. "That clone chamber wasn't just a backup… it was a plan. There's more. I saw the data before we wiped the servers—'Sanctuary Protocol.' A secondary base… somewhere off-grid."
Tessa narrowed her eyes. "How off-grid?"
Zero gave her a bleak look. "Not on any map. Not even on Lazarus records. But I know where the breadcrumbs start—inside the man who built it."
Kara straightened. "Vane's twin."
Zero nodded. "Not just his twin. His prototype. The first Vane. The one the world never met."
---
Three hours later, they landed at an old rebel hideout in the Highlands. The underground tunnels were dark, humid, and smelled like metal and moss. But the deeper they went, the more alive the place felt. Flickering lights hummed like whispers from another time.
Ronan guided the group toward a reinforced door. "Intel said he lives here in exile. Calls himself 'Shade.' Doesn't see visitors."
Adrian smirked. "Good thing we didn't come for tea."
With a groan, the steel door creaked open. Inside, a man stepped out of the shadows—silver hair, deep scars, and eyes that mirrored Kara's torment.
"You finally found me," he said.
Kara stared. "Are you… Elias Vane?"
He gave a tired smile. "No. I'm what came before him."
---
In the dim-lit chamber, Shade poured a drink and sat, looking them over like one might observe a chessboard.
"You destroyed Lazarus," he said. "But the seed has already spread. Vane created more than a facility—he created a doctrine."
Kara dropped the crystal on the table. "Then help us finish it."
Shade laughed, bitter and dry. "You think fire will burn it out? You'll need to become what he feared most—unpredictable."
Zero stepped forward. "Tell us about the Sanctuary Protocol."
Shade's eyes went cold. "It's not a place. It's a trigger. Buried inside certain clones. When activated, it leads them back to the core—Vane's legacy. And one of those clones is already moving."
Kara's blood ran cold. "Who?"
Shade turned toward her. "You."
---
The silence was suffocating.
"What do you mean, me?" Kara asked, her voice trembling.
Shade stood and walked to a panel on the wall, typing a sequence that revealed an old file. Kara's profile—subject K-001. Date of origin: 18 years ago.
"You're not just his daughter," he said. "You're his beginning and his end."
Adrian clenched his fists. "That's impossible. Kara isn't like them."
"No," Shade said. "She's worse. She's the only one who can override the others."
Kara backed away, heart thundering.
Tessa drew her weapon. "So what happens if she's triggered?"
"She becomes the beacon," Shade answered. "They'll all come to her. Every sleeper. Every weapon."
"And Vane?" Kara whispered.
Shade met her gaze. "He'll follow the fire."
---
Outside, storm clouds gathered.
Inside, Kara stood at the center of something ancient, broken, and alive.
A code.
A curse.
A choice.
---
To be continued…
🔥 Her blood is the key. Her memory, the map. But will the truth save the world—or destroy it?
Vote, comment,
and follow Ashes of Our Flame by RapwizzyDebaron.
The past is no longer behind her—it's waking up inside her.