Cloaked Heart (Silent Moments Series: Book 3)

Chapter 34

As consciousness slowly returned to me, the first thing I heard was Abby's voice, filled with panic and urgency. "I said, get that thing out of his head!" she screamed, her maternal instinct overriding everything else.

"No, no, not yet," I groaned, struggling to speak, my voice weak but determined.

Abby was immediately at my side, her concern palpable. "Are you in any pain?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for any sign of distress.

"No, I'm okay. I know how to stop A.L.I.E. I have to take the chip," I explained, the clarity of my mission cutting through the fog of pain and disorientation.

"What?" Bellamy asked, his voice laced with disbelief and worry.

"I have to go into the City of Light and find the kill switch," I told them, my resolve firm despite the incredulous looks I received.

Murphy, always quick with a sarcastic remark, chimed in. "Yeah, sounds like a great idea."

Abby's concern intensified, her voice a mix of fear and desperation. "Kegan, listen to me. A.L.I.E wants the Flame. If you take the chip, you're giving it to her. The second someone sees you, A.L.I.E. is going to know you're there. She'll kill you. If your mind dies, you die," she stressed, her words a stark reminder of the risks.

I could see the fear in her eyes, the thought of losing another child unbearable to her. "The Flame will protect me. I don't know how I know, but I just know," I reassured them, a strange confidence filling me.

Bellamy, after a moment of contemplation, spoke up in support. "I believe you," he said, reaching for a chip.

Abby, still fraught with concern, asked, "Do you even know what you're looking for?"

"I'll know when I find it," I responded, trying to convey a confidence I only partially felt.

Abby nodded, her expression a blend of resignation and hope. She leaned in and kissed my forehead, her voice trembling as she said, "May we meet again."

"We will," I assured her, my voice a mix of hope and determination.

Bellamy, his expression set with a newfound resolve, handed me the chip. "We'll keep you safe," he promised, his words a commitment to protect me, even in the most perilous of circumstances.

I took the chip from him, feeling its weight in my hand. It was a small object, but it represented a monumental step – a journey into the unknown, a gamble on a sliver of hope that the Flame's mysterious protection would be enough to guide me through the dangers of the City of Light. With the chip in my hand, a sense of foreboding filled me. I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the decision I was about to make. Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the unknown, and then, with a resolve born of desperation, I swallowed the chip.

The transition was disorienting, like stepping through a veil into another world. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the City of Light. It was a surreal experience, the city sprawling before me in stark, pristine detail. Skyscrapers towered above, casting long shadows over the streets lined with people, all moving with a purpose I couldn't discern. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, unnaturally clear, and the air felt different, almost sterile. I moved through the crowd, waving my hands in front of people's faces, testing my presence in this strange place. Remarkably, no one seemed to notice me; it was as if I were a ghost, invisible to the inhabitants of this digital world. The surrealism of the City of Light was overwhelming. The people around me moved with a uniformity that was eerie, their expressions placid, devoid of the usual nuances of human emotion. They were like puppets, controlled and serene in a way that felt unnatural.