Chapter 9: Ethan’s Escape: Breaking the Chain
842 Words
Location: Weylen Principal’s Office, Late Night
Ethan’s heart thudded as the door behind him clicked locked. The room was silent but suddenly suffocating.
Principal Hawthorne (coldly):
“You disappoint me, Ethan. I thought you were smarter than this.”
Ethan didn’t respond. His eyes scanned the room — not for words, but for exits. There had to be a way out.
The principal stepped closer.
Principal:
“Don’t be foolish. There’s no running from this. You belong to the program. You always have.”
Ethan’s hands were behind his back now, fingers subtly brushing the emergency flare capsule strapped to his belt.
Ethan (quietly):
“No. I don’t belong to anyone anymore.”
Fzzzt! — He slammed the flare into the floor, blinding red light bursting through the office. The principal stumbled back, shielding his eyes.
Ethan darted to the side wall, yanked the fire alarm lever, and sprinted through the bookshelves. Hidden behind one: a ventilation shaft he discovered months ago — a backup escape route he never thought he’d use.
The alarm screamed as sprinklers activated, spraying mist into the air. Behind him, Hawthorne’s voice bellowed:
Principal:
“Lock down the east wing! Subject Ethan Chase is compromised!”
He kicked open the vent cover and crawled inside. Metal clanged beneath him as he navigated the shaft, the sound of pounding boots and barking security growing fainter behind him.
Ethan (thinking):
This place raised me… trained me… lied to me.
He emerged into a utility room beneath the school’s east garden. Muddy, soaked, but alive. Free.
Ethan sprinted across the quad, ducking behind statues and benches as security lights scanned the grounds. He tapped a secure button on his watch — a burner signal meant for only one person.
Charlotte.
A few seconds later, her voice crackled into his ear.
Charlotte (tense whisper):
“Ethan? What the hell—?”
Ethan (breathing hard):
“I’m out. He knows everything. And I’m not on his side anymore.”
Silence. Then:
Charlotte:
“Get to the safe house. We’ll meet you there.”
Ethan looked back at the towering walls of Weylen — his prison, his past — then turned toward the city shadows of Duskwood.
He was done following orders.
Now, he was choosing sides.
-
Chapter 10
Safe House Reunion: Trust on the Line
Location: Abandoned Observatory, Duskwood Hills – 2:03 AM
The safe house was an old astronomy outpost on the edge of Duskwood. It smelled like dust, mildew, and secrets — the perfect hideout.
Charlotte stood at the entrance, arms crossed, as the rest of the team waited inside. Olivia tapped her foot anxiously. Emma clutched her notes. Evelyn and Isabella sat together in grim silence. Sophia was booting up the encrypted files from the archive.
Then came the knock.
Three short taps. One long. The signal.
Charlotte opened the door, and there he was — Ethan. Soaked, scraped, and breathless.
Olivia (eyes wide):
“Holy crap. He actually came.”
Emma (half hiding behind a wall):
“Are we sure it’s him? What if it’s a clone? Or a trap?!”
Ethan (deadpan):
“Clones don’t limp.”
He stepped in slowly, eyes scanning the room — and landing on Charlotte.
Charlotte (coldly):
“What do you want?”
Ethan:
“To help.”
No one moved. Olivia raised an eyebrow.
Olivia:
“Oh, now you want to help? After months of spying for him?”
Ethan (quiet):
“I didn’t know what I was part of. Not really.”
Evelyn scoffed.
Evelyn:
“Convenient time for a conscience.”
Isabella:
“Why should we believe anything you say?”
He reached into his jacket and tossed a flash drive onto the table.
Ethan:
“Because that contains Phase Two. Names, test subjects, teachers, everything. Including me.”
Sophia snatched it up, slotting it into her tablet. Her eyes widened as files opened.
Sophia:
“He’s telling the truth.”
Emma peeked over her shoulder, reading aloud.
Emma:
“‘Subject E-41: Ethan Chase. Planted operative. Monitored for instability. Termination pending?’”
Charlotte's jaw tightened. She turned away, walking toward the window.
Charlotte:
“Why now? Why switch sides?”
Ethan (softly):
“Because I saw what they were willing to do to you. And I couldn’t be part of it.”
Silence filled the room.
Finally, Olivia stood.
Olivia:
“We vote. That’s how this team works.”
Evelyn (grumbling):
“Since when?”
Olivia (smirking):
“Since now.”
One by one, they gave their answer.
Emma: “Yes. We need him.”
Sophia: “As long as he follows my firewalls.”
Evelyn: “Whatever. If he betrays us again, I get to punch him.”
Isabella: “Twice.”
Olivia: “Fine. But you’re sleeping near the door.”
Charlotte (after a long pause):
“Welcome to the team.”
Ethan exhaled, tension easing slightly from his shoulders.
For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t pretending.
---
Anticipate Ethan's actions either a spy or part of the team ☺️
- Writer
