Cyber Chronicles 2: Prime Voyage

Chapter 24: Present

His eyes fluttered open, and he gasped for breath as he regained consciousness. He found himself lying on a cold, metal floor in a dimly lit room. The air was heavy with tension and an eerie sense of unfamiliarity. He couldn't recall how he got there or what happened before he woke up. His mind was blank, except for the lingering feeling of confusion and disorientation.

"Where am I?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. He attempted to push himself up from the cold floor, but his body felt heavy and unresponsive as if weighed down by an invisible force.

A figure materialized in front of him, and without a second thought, he instinctively formed an energy blast and launched it at the intruder. But the figure moved with incredible speed, effortlessly dodging the attack. The blast hit some boxes, leaving crimson energy traces behind. He recognized the familiar blur of orange as the figure had evaded the blast, but he couldn't remember who it was.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice tinged with apprehension and fear. He didn't know who to trust in this strange and unfamiliar place.

The figure got closer, and as it came into focus, he saw a young man who looked many years younger than himself. Despite the confusion in his mind, a faint glimmer of recognition flickered within him. The man's name floated on the edges of his consciousness, but it was just out of reach, like a distant memory.

"It's me, Aytrex. We're in a safe house," the young man replied calmly, trying to reason with him. His eyes were warm and concerned, but they held the familiarity of a friend he could no longer recall.

His eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists. He didn't recognize Aytrex's words or the emotions that played across his face. All he knew was that he had to protect himself and find a way out of this unsettling situation.

Without hesitation, he unleashed a barrage of energy shards towards Aytrex. The room erupted into chaos as boxes were torn apart and energy shards flew in every direction. Aytrex's movements were swift and calculated as he teleported around the room, avoiding the shards with uncanny precision. The warehouse seemed to shrink as they engaged in their dance of battle, their powers colliding in bursts of energy.

In the blink of an eye, Aytrex teleported to his house to retrieve his daggers and returned to the warehouse. His heart raced with worry as he pondered the situation with Lincoln. This was nothing like he'd seen before with people going into Wrath. Had Lincoln completely lost his memory? Or was this just a temporary case of amnesia due to the intense battle with the Hydes? If so, why was Lincoln's appearance not reverting back to its normal state?

Amidst the clash of energy, questions filled Aytrex's mind while he threw his daggers in Lincoln's direction. The warehouse became a battleground as boxes flew in every direction from Lincoln's barrage of attacks.

Lincoln, desperate to understand his own abilities, created clones of himself to increase his offensive power. The clones moved in sync, attacking from all angles, but Aytrex's teleportation abilities allowed him to evade most of the strikes effortlessly.

With a fluidity that seemed second nature, Aytrex dispatched the clones, one after another, leaving Lincoln feeling more frustrated and lost.

As the fight raged on, Lincoln's mind felt like a storm of emotions and fragmented memories. He could sense the energy coursing through his body, but he couldn't grasp his identity or purpose. He fought with determination, fueled by an instinct to survive, but a nagging feeling of emptiness tugged at him. It was as if a crucial part of him was missing, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Suddenly, amidst the chaotic exchange of blows, Aytrex found an opening. Lincoln's guard wavered for a split second, and Aytrex struck, his hand connecting with what should have been Lincoln's chest. But to his astonishment, the body just disintegrated, revealing that it was just a clone that Lincoln had quickly substituted for himself.