OBSIDIAN MEMORY

Separated

They took Leander first.

I watched them drag him away, his small body struggling against the guards' iron grips. His eyes found mine, wide and terrified, and I felt something inside me shatter.

"Leander!" I screamed, lunging forward. A guard caught me across the face with his rifle butt, and I went down hard, blood filling my mouth.

"Let him go!" I shouted through the blood. "He's just a kid! He has nothing to do with this!"

Percival stepped into my line of vision, his polished boots gleaming. He crouched down, his face inches from mine. The smile on his lips was the worst thing I'd ever seen. It was the smile of a man who enjoyed suffering.

"Everyone has something to do with this," he said softly. "You brought him here. You put him in danger. This is your fault."

Then he stood and walked away.

I screamed his name until my voice went raw. I fought against the guards until my arms ached. But it didn't matter. They were too strong, and I was too weak.

Gideon was being dragged in the opposite direction. Seraphina was gone, already out of sight. I was alone.

The guards hauled me to my feet and marched me through the Nexus. I didn't fight anymore. There was no point. Every ounce of energy I had was focused on one thing: finding Leander.

They threw me into a cell. This one was different from the last. Smaller. Darker. The walls were lined with rusted pipes, and the floor was covered in a layer of grime. The air smelled of mildew and something metallic.

The door slammed shut, and the lock clicked into place.

I sat in the corner, my knees pulled to my chest. The darkness pressed in around me, suffocating. I tried to think of a plan, but my mind was blank. All I could see was Leander's face, his eyes full of fear.

"I'm coming," I whispered. "I promise. I'm coming."

---

The hours passed in silence.

I don't know how long I was there. Time had lost all meaning. I slept, fitfully, waking every few minutes to the sound of my own heartbeat. I dreamed of Dorian. Of Leander. Of the Wraith, her blade flashing in the darkness.

And then, finally, the door opened.

The light was blinding. I shielded my eyes, blinking through the haze. A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the brightness.

"Get up," a voice said.

It was Caspian.

"What do you want?" I asked.

He stepped into the cell, his face cold and hard. "Your brother wants to see you."

"My brother is dead."

Caspian smiled. "Not that brother. The other one. The boy."

My heart stopped. "What have you done to him?"

"I haven't done anything. Yet. But that depends on you."

He gestured, and I was hauled to my feet. The guards dragged me through the Nexus, down a long corridor lined with doors. At the end of the corridor was a room, its walls covered in monitors. Leander was there, strapped to a chair, his face pale and streaked with tears.

"Leander!" I tried to run to him, but the guards held me back.

"Aldric!" His voice cracked. "I'm scared."

"I'm here. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

Caspian stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "Here's the situation. Your brother knows something. The information the Oracle gave him. I want it. You're going to give it to me, or your brother is going to pay the price."

"You already questioned me. I don't know."

"Then you're useless." He nodded to the guard. "Take the boy."

"No! Wait!" I struggled against the guards, but it was useless. "Please. I don't know anything. I swear."

Caspian walked to Leander, his hand resting on the boy's shoulder. "You have until the count of three. One. Two—"

"I'll tell you!"

The words came out before I could stop them. I couldn't let Leander get hurt. Not for anything. Not even the truth.

"I'll tell you what you want to know."

Caspian smiled. "I thought you might see reason."

---

I told them everything.

The information Dorian had given me about the Shadow Protocol. The names of the Oligarchs. The truth about the Event. It all came pouring out, a flood of words that felt like betrayal.

When I was finished, Caspian leaned back in his chair, his eyes gleaming.

"Thank you," he said. "That was very helpful."

"Now let him go."

"Let him go?" Caspian laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"You promised."

"I lied." He gestured to the guards. "Take the boy. And take him too. We're done with them."

"No! You can't—"

The guards grabbed me, dragging me from the room. I fought with everything I had, but it was no use. They threw me back into the cell, the door slamming shut behind me.

I sat in the darkness, my mind racing. I'd given them everything. Everything Dorian had died for. And it hadn't mattered.

Leander was still in danger.

I was still trapped.

And the Shadow Protocol was still going forward.

---

I don't know how long I was in that cell.

Days, maybe. Weeks. Time had become meaningless. I slept when I could, ate when they brought me food, and spent the rest of my time staring at the wall, replaying every mistake I'd made.

I should have been faster. Smarter. I should have protected Leander. I should have been the brother he needed.

Instead, I'd failed him. Just like I'd failed Dorian.

And then, one night, I heard a voice.

"Aldric."

I sat up, my heart pounding. The voice was familiar. Soft. Gentle.

"Genevieve?"

"Stay quiet." Her face appeared in the small window in the door. "I'm going to get you out."

"How? It's impossible."

"Nothing's impossible. Just difficult."

She worked at the lock, her fingers moving with practiced precision. It clicked open, and the door swung inward.

"This way," she whispered. "We don't have much time."

I followed her through the Nexus, keeping to the shadows. The corridors were empty, the guards absent. It was too easy.

"This is a trap," I said.

"Probably. But it's the only chance we've got."

We reached a door, and Genevieve pushed it open. The room beyond was filled with monitors, each one displaying a different part of the Nexus. Caspian was there, his back to us.

"Welcome," he said without turning. "I was wondering when you'd make your move."

Genevieve drew her weapon. "Let them go, Caspian. This doesn't have to get violent."

"Oh, but I want it to." He turned, a smile on his face. "I've been bored lately. I need some entertainment."

He moved fast, faster than I'd expected. His fist connected with Genevieve's jaw, and she crumpled to the floor.

"No!" I lunged at him, but he was ready. He caught my fist and twisted, a sharp c***k of pain shooting through my arm. I hit the ground, gasping.

"You're pathetic," Caspian said. "All that rage, and nowhere to put it."

I glared up at him. "You're wrong. I know exactly where to put it."

I kicked his legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the floor. I scrambled on top of him, my hands around his throat.

"Where is my brother?" I shouted. "Where is Leander?"

Caspian laughed, even as I choked him. "He's gone. They moved him. You'll never find him."

I squeezed harder. "Tell me!"

"Never."

I hit him. Again and again, until my knuckles were raw and bloody. But he just kept laughing.

"You'll never win," he said. "They'll kill you both. Just like they killed your brother."

I pulled back, my hands shaking. He was right. I couldn't win. Not like this.

I stood up, leaving him on the floor. Genevieve was stirring, her eyes fluttering open.

"We need to go," I said.

"What about Caspian?"

"He's not worth it."

We left him there, crawling on the floor like the worm he was.

---

We found the Echoes' new safe house at dawn.

It was in the Outlands, a crumbling building that had once been a school. Gideon was there, his face grim.

"We heard what happened," he said. "I'm sorry, Aldric. I know you lost him."

"Then help me get him back."

"The boy is being held in the Nexus. We don't know where. And even if we did, we don't have the resources for another assault."

"I'll do it myself."

"That's suicide."

"Then at least I'll die trying."

Gideon looked at me for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly. "There might be another way."

"What?"

"There's a woman. She used to work for the corporations. She knows the Nexus inside out. If anyone can help you, it's her."

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Mirabelle. But she's not easy to find. And she doesn't work for free."

"I'll pay whatever she asks."

Gideon smiled, a cold expression. "I was hoping you'd say that."

---

I met Mirabelle the next night.

She was thin and sharp-featured, with eyes that missed nothing. She studied me like I was a puzzle to be solved.

"So you're Aldric," she said. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All bad, I'm sure."

"Not all." She smiled, a brief flicker. "You want to get into the Nexus. You want to find your brother."

"Yes."

"And you're willing to pay any price."

"Name it."

She leaned forward. "I want out. Out of the city, out of the Outlands, out of this life. I want a chance to start over."

"Done."

"And I want you to kill Percival."

I paused. "What?"

"Kill Percival. That's my price. He's the one who made my life miserable. He's the one who took everything from me. I want him dead."

"Fine. I'll kill him."

"I hope you mean that. Because if you don't—"

"I mean it."

She nodded slowly. "Then we have a deal."

---

The plan came together over the next few days.

Mirabelle had access to the Nexus's schematics. She knew every entrance, every exit, every blind spot. With her help, I could get inside without being seen.

"You'll need to move fast," she said. "The moment they know you're there, they'll lock everything down. You'll have maybe ten minutes before the guards are on you."

"Ten minutes is all I need."

"And you'll need to be careful. The Wraith is still hunting you. She won't hesitate to kill you."

"She'll have to catch me first."

Mirabelle shook her head. "You're either very brave or very stupid."

"Probably both."

She laughed, a short, sharp sound. "I like you, Aldric. It's a shame you're probably going to die."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I'm just being honest."

---

The night of the mission arrived.

I stood at the edge of the Nexus, my gear strapped on and ready. Gideon was beside me, his face hard.

"Remember," he said. "Get in, get your brother, get out. Don't try to be a hero."

"No promises."

"Then make it a quick death."

I smiled. "That's the plan."

I moved through the darkness, my steps silent. The Nexus loomed ahead, a dark shape against the night sky. I found the entrance Mirabelle had marked—a maintenance shaft that led directly to the holding cells.

I climbed down, my hands finding the rungs of the ladder. The shaft was narrow, the air thick with dust. I moved slowly, careful not to make a sound.

The bottom of the shaft opened into a corridor. I crept forward, my eyes scanning the darkness. Guards patrolled at regular intervals, their footsteps echoing in the silence.

I waited for one to pass, then slipped through a doorway.

The holding cells were ahead. I could see them through a window, rows of cages filled with prisoners. I scanned them quickly, searching for Leander.

He wasn't there.

I moved to the next room, then the next. Nothing. No sign of him.

And then I heard a voice.

"Aldric."

I turned. The Wraith was standing behind me, her blade in her hand.

"I told you I'd find you," she said.

"I'm not in the mood for games."

"Neither am I."

She attacked.

I blocked her blade with my arm, feeling the sharp pain of the cut. I swung my knife at her, but she was too fast. She dodged, her blade slicing across my chest.

"You're slowing down," she said. "Too much emotion. Too much pain."

"Shut up."

She laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "I can see it in your eyes. You're not fighting to win. You're fighting to die."

"Maybe. But I'm taking you with me."

I lunged at her, my knife aimed at her throat. She sidestepped, her blade flashing. It caught me across the face, opening a gash above my eye.

Blood poured down my face, blinding me. I stumbled back, my vision swimming.

But I didn't stop.

I swung again, this time catching her arm. She hissed in pain, her blade faltering.

I pressed my advantage, driving her back. She was fast, but I was desperate. Desperate men fight harder than anyone.

Finally, I got the upper hand. My knife found her side, and she crumpled to the floor.

I stood over her, breathing hard. "Where is my brother?"

She smiled through the blood. "He's dead. They killed him. Just like they killed your other brother."

"No. You're lying."

"Am I?" She laughed again. "You'll never know. You'll be dead soon enough."

I raised my knife to end it. But I couldn't. Killing her wouldn't bring Leander back. It wouldn't change anything.

I left her bleeding on the floor and kept moving.