OVER THE SIRENS🌸

Chapter Seven: Into the Heart of the City

The central siren tower loomed over District 1 like a monument to the Council’s control. It was a gleaming structure of steel and glass, its spire piercing the sky like a dagger. The sirens perched at the top were larger than any in the other districts, their deep red lights flickering ominously in the night.

Maeve stood at the base of the tower, her heart pounding in her chest. She had spent weeks preparing for this moment, memorizing every security detail, every entry point. But now, standing in the shadow of the tower, she felt the weight of what she was about to do.

The Resistance had given her everything she needed—codes, decoy devices, and a way to scramble the siren frequencies for a short period of time. But once she was inside, she would be on her own.

She took a deep breath, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders, and slipped through the side entrance. The corridors inside the tower were eerily quiet, the hum of the sirens vibrating through the walls. Maeve moved quickly, her footsteps silent against the polished floors.

She reached the security hub, her hands trembling slightly as she entered the codes Lily had given her. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit room filled with screens and control panels. At the center of the room was a terminal, its screen displaying the Council’s encrypted database.

Maeve’s fingers flew across the keyboard, her mind focused on one task: finding Protocol Zero. The system fought back, layers of encryption trying to keep her out, but Maeve was relentless. She had spent years working in the siren network. She knew its weaknesses, its vulnerabilities.

Finally, a file blinked open on the screen. Protocol Zero.

Maeve’s eyes scanned the document, her breath catching in her throat as the truth unfolded before her. Protocol Zero wasn’t just a failsafe. It was a reset. A final measure to erase the memories of the entire population, to wipe out any trace of rebellion, any knowledge of the past.

And the key to triggering it was the sirens.

The Council had built the siren system not just as a tool for control, but as a weapon. If they ever lost their grip on the city, they would activate Protocol Zero, using the sirens to emit a frequency so powerful it would erase the memories of every person in the city. They would turn the population into empty vessels, ready to be filled with whatever narrative the Council chose.

Maeve’s hands shook as she downloaded the file, her mind racing. She had to get back to the Resistance. They had to stop this before it was too late.

But as she turned to leave, the door to the security hub slid open—and a figure stepped into the room.

It was Rona.

“Maeve?” Rona’s voice was soft, confused. “What are you doing here?”

Maeve’s heart pounded in her chest, panic rising like a tidal wave. “Rona, I—”

But before she could say another word, the sirens outside began to wail.

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