The battlefield inside Khan Tower had grown eerily quiet for a moment.
Gunfire had slowed.
Smoke drifted through the shattered hallway like ghostly fog, and the flashing red emergency lights painted everything in a sinister glow.
Meherin stood frozen.
Victor's words still echoed inside her mind.
You didn't get lost as a child.
You were kidnapped.
Her voice trembled.
"…what are you talking about?"
Ryan looked equally stunned.
Victor wiped a small line of blood from the corner of his lip and spoke quietly.
"Your childhood wasn't an accident."
The Director's calm voice came through the screen again.
"Victor talks too much."
Victor smirked.
"And you hide too many secrets."
The Director's Cold Explanation
The Director folded her hands calmly.
"Yes," she said.
"You were kidnapped."
Meherin's chest tightened.
"Why?"
The Director's eyes remained cold.
"Because your parents refused to obey us."
Ryan stepped forward.
"So you punished them by taking their child?"
The Director shook her head.
"No."
"We tested her."
Those words felt even worse.
Meherin whispered,
"Tested me… for what?"
The Director replied calmly,
"To see if you were worthy of becoming the future leader of the Consortium."
Ryan's voice turned dangerously quiet.
"You kidnapped a child for an experiment."
The Director showed no guilt.
"Power must be tested early."
The Hidden Years
Victor continued the explanation.
"You disappeared for almost two years."
Meherin's breath caught.
"That's impossible… I remember living with my aunt."
Victor shook his head slowly.
"Those memories were altered."
Daniel looked shocked.
"Memory conditioning?"
Victor nodded.
"The Founders have technology for psychological manipulation."
Meherin felt her stomach twist.
"You erased my memories?"
The Director answered calmly,
"Yes."
"We replaced them with safer ones."
Ryan's fists clenched.
"You turned her childhood into a laboratory experiment."
The Director's voice remained steady.
"She survived."
"That proved her strength."
The Hidden Facility
Suddenly Daniel spoke up.
"There's more."
Ryan turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel took a deep breath.
"The resistance has been tracking the Founders for years."
Victor smirked.
"Yes… the brave rebels."
Daniel ignored him.
"We located one of their secret facilities."
Ryan frowned.
"Where?"
Daniel answered quietly.
"Outside the city."
Victor's eyes sharpened.
"That's where they took her."
Meherin's heart skipped.
"The place where I was held?"
Daniel nodded.
"Yes."
Ryan's jaw tightened.
"We're going there."
The Director's Calm Threat
The Director watched them carefully.
"You will not find what you expect."
Ryan answered coldly,
"We'll see."
The Director tilted her head slightly.
"You believe destroying a building will stop us?"
Ryan didn't hesitate.
"No."
"But it's a start."
Victor chuckled.
"Finally something we agree on."
The Director sighed softly.
"You really are your parents' daughter, Meherin."
Her eyes turned colder.
"Always trying to destroy what you don't understand."
Meherin stepped forward.
"I understand one thing."
"What you did to my family."
The Director's expression didn't change.
"Then you understand why you cannot win."
The Escape Plan
More Founder agents began flooding the floor again.
Ryan immediately turned to the others.
"We can't stay here."
Daniel nodded.
"There's a service exit on the lower floor."
Victor added casually,
"And about twenty armed agents between us and that exit."
Ryan looked at him.
"You're enjoying this."
Victor smiled.
"I enjoy survival."
Ryan grabbed Meherin's hand.
"Stay close."
She nodded.
"I'm not leaving your side."
For a brief moment their eyes met.
The chaos around them faded.
Ryan whispered quietly,
"We'll finish this."
Meherin answered softly,
"Together."
Fighting Through the Tower
The group moved quickly through the ruined corridors.
Gunfire erupted again as Founder agents tried to stop them.
Ryan moved like a trained predator.
Precise.
Fast.
Deadly.
Victor fought just as brutally, proving why he had once been Ryan's mentor.
Daniel covered their backs while guiding them toward the emergency stairwell.
The battle inside the tower felt endless.
But finally—
They reached the lower parking levels.
A Moment of Quiet
The underground parking garage was dark and silent.
Only a few emergency lights glowed faintly.
Ryan checked the exits carefully.
For the first time in hours, the gunfire had stopped.
Meherin leaned against a car, trying to steady her breathing.
Ryan walked toward her.
"You okay?"
She nodded slowly.
"I just found out my entire childhood was fake."
Ryan's expression softened.
"You're stronger than they think."
Meherin looked up at him.
"And what about you?"
Ryan hesitated.
Then he answered quietly,
"I'm stronger because of you."
Her heart skipped again.
A New Danger
Suddenly Victor looked toward the far end of the garage.
"…we have company."
Everyone turned.
Several black armored vehicles rolled slowly into the parking area.
More Founder agents stepped out.
But something was different this time.
These soldiers wore a different symbol.
Daniel's eyes widened.
"That's impossible."
Ryan asked sharply,
"What?"
Daniel whispered,
"The Founder elite division."
Victor muttered,
"Oh… this just became interesting."
🔥 Final Cliffhanger
One of the elite soldiers stepped forward.
Then slowly removed his helmet.
Meherin gasped.
Ryan froze.
Because the man standing there looked painfully familiar.
Ryan whispered,
"…No."
The man smiled coldly.
"Hello, brother."
Meherin's heart stopped.
Ryan had never mentioned having a brother.
Yet the man standing in front of them looked exactly like him.
➜ Next Chapter Teaser (Chapter 28 – The Brother I Never Knew)
In Chapter 28:
Ryan's mysterious brother reveals his connection to the Founders
A brutal confrontation between the two brothers
Meherin uncovers another secret about Ryan's family
Daniel's resistance group finally joins the battle
And the war against the Founders officially begins
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