Page 58

Ziva

The air feels suffocating, thick and heavy, pressing against my chest with each panicked breath.

Colvin’s eyes lock onto mine, devoid of mercy, like an iron vice closing in.

My heart pounds, each beat echoing the crushing weight of our miscalculations, my breath shallow and jagged like broken glass.

Fear coils in my chest, but beneath it, anger rises—hot, suffocating, almost overpowering the terror.

How could we be so stupid?

“You can stop trying to hide,” Colvin’s sneer sends a chill down my spine. He moves closer, his polished boots clicking sharply against the floor.

He moves like a shadow, each step a measured countdown to our doom. “It seems our little band of rebels thought they could outsmart The Authority.”

I steal a glance at Myall, his jaw clenched so tightly that I fear he might shatter his teeth. He releases his hold on me and rises from his crouched position like a coiled spring, ready to unleash his fury.

Dr. Vance moves to stand rigidly beside him, her face pale. I follow suit, catching Arden’s eyes as they dart frantically around the room, searching for an escape that doesn’t exist.

“I must admit, I’m impressed you made it this far,” Colvin continues as he strides before us with the confidence of a wolf among sheep, his posture rigid, a slight curve at the corners of his mouth.

“Though I suppose having an insider helped.” His gaze lands on Dr. Vance, lips curling into a sneer.

“I expected better from you, Elena. After all we’ve accomplished together. ”

My stomach knots as Colvin’s words slice through the air, dredging up memories of my parents’ whispered fears. Their anxious faces flash before me, the suffocating dread that has gnawed at my insides since they were taken—a familiar pain that intertwines with my anger.

Dr. Vance lifts her chin defiantly. “What we’ve done is monstrous Jonathan. I couldn’t stand by any longer.”

“Monstrous?” Colvin chuckles darkly, the sound making my skin crawl. “We’ve brought peace and stability to a world full of hatred. Your weakness disappoints me.”

Balling my fists at my sides, I fight the urge to lash out. “Peace built on oppression isn’t peace at all,” I spit, my voice trembling with barely contained rage.

Colvin’s eyes snap to mine, a cold smile playing on his lips. “Ah, Ms. Emerson. Always the troublemaker. I wonder, does your newfound rebellion stem from a genuine belief in freedom, or is it merely a desperate attempt to feel something—anything—in a world that’s left you behind?”

His words hit closer to home than I’d like to admit.

“You’re wrong,” I fire back, the words like a punch to the air, my chest tightening with the weight of my defiance.

Myall’s hand brushes mine , grounding me amidst the storm of uncertainty and fear that threatens to pull me under. A surge of raw energy floods through me, fueled by the memory of everything we’ve lost.

Locking eyes with Colvin, my voice is steady, though my stomach churns. “We feel more deeply than you can imagine. That’s why we’re fighting.”

Colvin’s laugh is hollow, echoing through the room, as if he feeds on our despair, each note a reminder of his power over us.

“Such passion. It’s almost a shame to extinguish it.

” He turns his attention from me to address the room.

“For those wondering about your other compatriots—Liora, Jarek, Jorel, and Tariq—they’re currently enjoying the hospitality of our Enforcers outside.

I’m sure they’ll be joining you all in confinement shortly. ”

Each name cuts through me like a dagger—Liora, Jarek, Jorel, Tariq—all of them captured. But as I lock eyes with my friends, I know: we’re cornered, outgunned, but not defeated. Not yet.

“What now, Jonathan?” Dr. Vance asks, her voice steady despite the circumstances. “Will you make an example of us in the streets or lock us away again?”

Colvin’s eyes glint with a malevolent fire, the kind that promises pain and suffering. A pressure settles over me, as if the air itself has thickened, each word cutting deeper than the last. My muscles tighten involuntarily, and I can’t stop myself from flinching.

“The Authority always finds a use for resistance. You might be the perfect candidates for testing our latest emotional suppression tech.”

The threat looms over us like a dark cloud, chilling and all too real. I can almost taste the bitterness of our impending doom.

The seconds drag by, each one heavier than the last. Seven minutes until the device shuts down the NeuroMod and Sentinel systems. I need to keep Colvin distracted, focused on us rather than the mainframe.

“Why us, Regent?” I ask, injecting a hint of curiosity into my voice. “Out of all the potential dissenters in the city, why were we worth this elaborate trap?”

Colvin’s cold blue eyes fix on me, gleaming with something predatory. “Always the inquisitive one, aren’t you? It’s what made you such a promising NeuroMod Technician. And now, such a dangerous liability.”

He paces, his shoes clicking against the marble floor.

The sound echoes in the tense silence of the control room, making me flinch.

Behind Colvin, the Enforcers shift uneasily, their expressions covered by their opaque visors, but their postures tense with anticipation, as if waiting for a signal to pounce.

“Over the years, there have been minor uprisings,” he says, his eyes boring into mine with a cold intensity. “Your parents were probably part of the first one, given your age. But there have been other rebellions since then, all of which were swiftly dealt with.”

I try to suppress the nausea rising in my throat. The way he talks about past rebellions, as if they were just minor irritations—like nothing more than an annoying fly—makes me sick.

“You see,” he continues, his voice like a serpent’s hiss, coiling around my thoughts, squeezing tighter with each word. “Loyalty is the foundation of society. Without it, everything crumbles. You rebels are the cancer that must be excised.”

Myall tenses beside me, his fingers brushing against mine in a silent show of support. I resist the urge to look at him, keeping my gaze locked on Colvin even though I want nothing more than to cling to him for support.

“Loyalty built on lies isn’t loyalty—it’s just another form of control,” I counter, my voice steady despite the fear and disgust churning in my gut.

Colvin’s lip curls in disdain. “Control is necessary for harmony. You claim to fight for freedom, but your actions would plunge us back into chaos. Have you even considered the long term effects on a bodies nervous system? Tell me, how many would suffer if emotions ran unchecked?”

I open my mouth to argue, but Arden beats me to it. “And how many suffer now, living half-lives, stripped of what makes us human?”

The Regent’s attention shifts, and I breathe an internal sigh of relief. Every second he spends debating is another second closer to our victory. If we can just keep him talking long enough for the device to finish shutting down the mainframe, it will all be worth it.

“Humanity’s overrated,” Colvin sneers. “War, pain, destruction—what has it given us? The Harmonization Authority offers peace, stability, progress.”

“At what cost?” Dr. Vance interjects, her voice trembling slightly, yet she stands tall. “I’ve seen the data, Jonathan. The long-term effects of emotional suppression—”

“Are necessary sacrifices for the greater good,” Colvin cuts her off sharply. His gaze sweeps over us, calculating and ruthless. “You’ve all made your choices. Now, you’ll face the consequences.”

A bead of sweat trails down my spine as I watch the seconds tick by.

We’re so close now—just a little more time.

He watches me with icy detachment and a cruel smile tugs at his thin lips. “Speaking of choices, let’s discuss you and Mr. Hansen, shall we?”

My spine stiffens. I force myself not to look at Myall, but I can feel the tension radiating from him beside me.

“Your attempts at concealment are pitiful,” Colvin continues, his voice dripping with contempt. “Did you really think your… affection… would go unnoticed? That you weren’t being monitored?”

I ball my fists, fighting to keep my expression neutral, to pretend that his words aren’t making bile to rise up in my throat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, but the slight tremor in my voice betrays me.

Colvin chuckles, a sound devoid of warmth. “Oh, I think you do. Tell me, Ms. Emerson, how does it feel to know your weakness could be his undoing?”

One of Colvin’s Enforcers steps forward with a quick nod. “Ms. Emerson needs reminding of the price for emotional weakness.”

“No!” The word escapes me before I can stop it.

Panic surges through me as I watch the Enforcer move towards Myall.

As I take a step forward, someone suddenly grabs onto my forearm and pulls me back, their bony fingers tightly squeezing in warning.

I quickly glance at my captor—Arden—and see her eyes are open wide with fear, her jaw clenched tightly.

I want to rip my arm free from Arden’s tight grip, to place myself between Myall and danger, but I know I can’t. Not yet. We’re so close. Just a few more minutes…

“Leave him alone,” I growl, the sound coming from deep within me as I meet Colvin’s gaze with a fierce determination. “I’m the one you want to punish.”

Colvin’s eyes narrow, studying me intently. “Interesting,” he murmurs, the sound barely audible over the thudding of my heart. “You’re usually more… calculated in your responses. What game are you playing, Ms. Emerson?”

Fuck.

He’s getting suspicious. I need to keep him focused on me, away from the device.

“No game,” I reply, forcing a bitter laugh. “Just tired of your twisted version of harmony.”

Colvin’s lips curl into a cruel smile. “And yet, you willingly served The Harmonization Authority for years. How does that make you any different from me?”

“I only wanted to become a Technician so that I could find a way to free myself from my NeuroMod,” I say through gritted teeth. “But at least I’m willing to admit it and fight for what’s right.”

“You naive child. You have no idea of the chaos you’re inviting.

The consequences of emotional suppression, even if the NeuroMod is removed from the person, will be severe in the long run.

” Colvin’s expression darkens and he raises his hand, signaling for the Enforcer to continue with their plan to harm Myall.

“No!” Dr. Vance cries out, stepping forward to intervene, only to be violently struck by an Enforcer as he backhands her across the face, the sound almost deafening. She crumples to the ground in a heap, clutching her cheek and breathing heavily—almost choking down her breaths.

Colvin huffs a laugh and turns abruptly, striding towards the mainframe, to where the device is slowly counting down the seconds.

Not yet. Not now.

“Sir,” I call out, desperate to delay him. “You’re making a mistake. The system—”

“Enough!” Colvin snaps, his gaze flicking back to the device. “Time for you to learn compliance.”

He reaches for the device, his fingers mere inches away from undoing everything we’ve worked so hard for. Simultaneously, he nods to his Enforcers. “Show Ms. Emerson the consequences of misplaced loyalty.”

The weapon glints as an Enforcer raises it toward Myall. Two more move toward Myall, ripping him away from my side and restraining him, their hands gripping his arms tightly as he struggles in their grasp.

“Kill him,” Colvin says.

My mind races, calculating angles, distances, probabilities. There has to be a way out of this, a way to save both Myall and finish shutting down the system. the Enforcers exchange glances as they tighten their grips on Myall.

Myall’s dark hair falls into his eyes as he struggles against the Enforcers, his jaw hard.

I see my reflection in his eyes, my own fear made tangible through his expression. But in that moment, I can also see the unwavering determination to fight, to resist, to never give up. In that moment, I make my choice, my eyes locking with Myall. Without words, he understands.

Together.