Broken Silence

Chapter Fourteen

The hallways of the Vault are getting tighter, the air heavier with each step we take. I can feel the weight of the experiments pressing down on me—the grotesque, twisted bodies in the tanks, the hybrid soldiers now lurking in the shadows, waiting for another opportunity to strike.

Kai moves ahead of me, his steps silent, his back rigid with focus. His knife gleams in the dim light as he checks the corridor, his eyes scanning every corner like a predator hunting its prey.

I can't shake the feeling that we're walking deeper into the belly of the beast—the heart of the Syndicate's most heinous experiments. We've seen the hybrids. We've seen the tanks. But I know there's more to this place. More secrets buried in the dark.

"Keep moving," Kai whispers, his voice low, like he's trying to push away whatever thoughts are threatening to surface.

I can't tell if it's the weight of the situation or the tension between us, but something about his demeanor makes my chest tighten. His jaw is clenched, his fists are tight at his sides, and his entire body seems to be bracing for something.

I don't say anything as I follow him through the corridor. Every step echoes too loudly in the silence. We're too exposed here—too vulnerable. And the deeper we go, the more I feel the pull of the hybrids, like shadows watching us from behind every corner.

A sudden noise makes me jump.

A whisper.

It's faint at first, like the wind rustling through the walls. But then I hear it again, louder this time—a voice, barely audible, distorted like it's coming from deep underwater.

Kai freezes, his head tilting to the side, his expression tense. His eyes meet mine, and for a moment, I see something that makes my stomach churn—fear. Not the kind of fear you get from a monster or a fight. The kind of fear that comes from knowing you're in a place where nothing is what it seems.

He motions for me to stay close, and we keep moving, carefully, silently, until we reach the end of the hallway. The air grows colder, and the whispering grows louder, swirling around us like an invisible storm.

"Do you hear that?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Kai's eyes narrow, his grip on his knife tightening. "Don't listen to it."

But it's hard not to.

The voice is so familiar, like a memory I can't quite place. At first, I think it's a trick—just the echoes of the Vault, playing with my mind. But the more I listen, the more I realize the voice is speaking my name.

"Chase."

I stop in my tracks, my heart hammering in my chest. I know that voice.

I've heard it before.

But the last time I heard it was long before I stepped into the Hollow—long before this nightmare began.

"Kai," I say, my voice shaking, "I think—I think it's calling me."

He steps back, his gaze hardening. "Don't listen to it. It's a trap."

"I don't—"

I stop. The voice calls my name again, and this time, it's louder, clearer. Closer.

I can't ignore it. Something inside me is pulling me toward it—toward the source of the voice. It feels like a thread that's been tugging at my mind ever since I stepped foot in the Hollow, and now, it's unraveling, pulling me deeper into the darkness.

Before I can even react, the hallway around us shifts. The walls groan, the lights flicker, and the faint, disorienting sound of machinery—whirring, clicking—grows louder. The corridor seems to twist, bending in on itself like it's alive.

"This place... it's moving," I whisper, gripping the trident tighter in my hand.

Kai looks back at me, his face grim. "No. It's not moving. It's... reacting."

Suddenly, the whisper turns into something else—a voice that definitely isn't my own.

It's a woman's voice.

"I'm so sorry, Chase," she says, and the sound of her words sends a shiver down my spine. "But you need to come to me now."

I glance at Kai, but his eyes are locked on the shadows ahead, his face pale, his body tense.

"Who's that?" I ask, but my voice barely comes out as a whisper. My throat feels tight, like I'm choking on something I can't understand.

Kai's eyes flicker to mine. "It's... it's not real, Chase. None of this is."

But I don't know if I believe him.

Because the voice feels real. It feels like it's reaching into me, tugging at the deepest parts of my memories, pulling at the places I've tried so hard to bury.

Suddenly, I remember the woman's face. Her—the one who was at the center of everything. The one who started all of this.

Her name is burned into my mind, even though I can barely remember the details anymore.

"Is it... her?" I ask, my voice trembling.

Kai flinches at the mention of her name, his face darkening. He steps in front of me, blocking my view of the hallway ahead. His hand grabs my arm with a force that surprises me.

"Stay close," he growls, his voice low and urgent. "This is more than just the Syndicate. This is... something else. Something worse."

But I can't shake the feeling that this voice—that she—is leading me somewhere. That she knows something about who I am. And maybe, just maybe, she holds the key to ending all of this.

But if that's true, why is it all so damn wrong?

"Chase," the voice calls again. "I know what you're searching for. You just need to come closer..."

And despite everything, despite my better judgment, I take a step forward.

Kai's grip tightens, but I pull away from him, my gaze fixed on the shadowy corridor ahead.

"I have to know," I whisper. "I have to find out what she's hiding."

Kai's face hardens. "Then we're going to have to fight our way there."

I don't answer. Because deep down, I know he's right. This isn't going to be easy.

And whatever's waiting for us at the end of this twisted labyrinth isn't going to let us walk away unscathed.