Chapter 10: The Fractured Pact
737 Words
Lena’s wrist throbbed beneath the cast, a constant reminder of the observatory’s rusted metal giving way beneath her weight. She stared at the ceiling of her hospital room, the fluorescent lights buzzing in rhythmic defiance of the silence. Dr. Kane’s words echoed in her mind—Eleanor was my sister—but the revelation only deepened the labyrinth of doubt. Why had Victoria waited until now to reveal such a crucial connection?
A knock rapped at the door. Lena tensed, half-expecting Julian’s shadow to darken the threshold. Instead, Ethan shuffled inside, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His usual boyish charm had withered, leaving gaunt hollows beneath his eyes.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Lena said, her voice cold.
Ethan flinched. “I know. But I need to talk to you—before they come for me.”
“‘They’?” Lena pushed herself up in bed, wincing as her concussion protested. “Julian? Or NeuroTech?”
“Both.” Ethan collapsed into the chair beside her bed, his gaze fixed on the floor. “After you fell, Julian… he changed. He started muttering about ‘loose ends’ and deleted all the lab’s hard drives. Then this morning, a guy in a black suit showed up at my dorm—said I had ‘unfinished business’ with NeuroTech.”
Lena’s pulse quickened. “What did Julian do to you?”
“Nothing physical.” Ethan laughed bitterly. “He messed with my head—used the interface. Showed me memories I thought I’d buried: my dad beating my mom, the day I dropped out of med school… He said if I didn’t ‘cooperate,’ he’d make me relive them forever.”
The image of Marcus twitching in the glass chamber flashed through Lena’s mind. “So you betrayed me.”
“To save my own skin.” Ethan met her eyes, desperation burning in his. “But I didn’t know he’d try to kill you. I thought he’d just… scare you off.”
Lena turned away, unable to look at him. “Get out.”
“Wait!” Ethan fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. “Before Julian scrubbed the servers, I copied this. It’s a NeuroTech memo from 2010—about ‘Project Persephone’.”
Lena snatched the paper. The text was encrypted, but a handwritten note in the margin caught her eye: E.B. is the key. Must control her narrative.
“E.B.—Eleanor Bennett,” she whispered. “They were manipulating her story even then.”
“Julian’s not the only puppet,” Ethan said. “Wentworth, Kane—they’re all on NeuroTech’s payroll. The ethics board hearing? It’s a sham to make it look like they’re investigating, but they’ll clear Julian and bury the truth.”
The door handle jiggled. Ethan bolted to his feet. “I have to go. But Lena—don’t trust anyone. Not even—”
The door swung open. Dr. Kane stood there, flanked by two security guards. “Mr. Cruz, I thought I told you to stay away from my patient.”
Ethan backed toward the window. “You’re in on it too, aren’t you? You and Julian, working for NeuroTech—”
“Enough.” Kane nodded to the guards. “Escort Mr. Cruz off campus. If he returns, call the police.”
As Ethan was dragged out, he shouted over his shoulder: “Lena, the observatory—there’s a—” His words were cut off by the slamming door.
Kane approached the bed, her expression unreadable. “I hope he didn’t upset you.”
Lena stuffed the memo under her pillow. “He said you’re working for NeuroTech.”
Kane laughed. “Of course he did. Desperate men will say anything to save themselves. Now, about the ethics hearing—”
“I need to use the restroom.” Lena threw back the covers, ignoring the pain in her wrist.
“Wait, you shouldn’t—”
Lena pushed past her, locking herself in the bathroom. She turned on the faucet, then unfolded the memo. Project Persephone—the name of the Greek goddess abducted to the underworld. A shiver ran down her spine.
In the mirror, her reflection wavered. Trust no one. Ethan’s warning echoed in her mind. She had to escape—find out what was hidden in the observatory before it was too late.
- Writer
