"We're under attack, Victor… move!"

  Ilio shouted, gripping Victor's wounded shoulder, shaking him gently yet firmly. Smoke spiraled from the partially burning walls, and the distant echoes of explosions vibrated through the ground. Victor didn't respond immediately, frozen before Robert's corpse, his eyes fixed on the black capsule clutched in the fallen man's hand. Blood pooled on the floor like a shallow lake, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder and scorched metal, while the wail of distant alarms tore through the silence.

  "Victor… can you hear me?" Ilio shouted again, his voice a blade slicing through Victor's mind.

  Victor slowly lifted his head, his eyes lost, his voice barely above a whisper:

  "Ilio… tell me… was what I did… right?"

  Ilio paused for a moment, glancing first at the corpse, then at Victor, his expression void of emotion:

  "What do you mean?"

  "What if… it really was my son… in some way… I don't know… but what if…?"

  Ilio exhaled, calm but sharp as a knife:

  "Judging by your appearances… it's impossible. You're too close in age. But we cannot judge what we do not know. Time in this world is twisted, technology, freezing, experiments… anything is possible. What we do know is that he killed our comrades. That matters now, not what he could have been to you. If you hadn't killed him… I would have. You asked if what you did was right… from my perspective, it was more than right. You killed a killer. I don't think that's wrong."

  Victor looked down, blood dripping from his shoulder, voice faint:

  "From your perspective… and me?"

  Louis suddenly appeared through the broken doorway, pale and panting:

  "I'm not sure this is the time for your discussion… the Synced—dogs—are close. They're minutes away."

  Ilio responded coldly:

  "Don't worry… you can leave. I think they want me… specifically."

  "I'm not sure," Louis said, scanning the room quickly. "I tried… and I almost got hit."

  Ilio blinked in surprise:

  "What? Where are they now?"

  "Right outside the building… at the door."

  "We're trapped," Ilio said, eyes calculating. "They intend to blow the place up. That means the memory capsules aren't here… or they think so."

  "I don't think that," Victor said suddenly, lifting the black capsule he had taken from Robert's corpse. The number 307 was clearly etched on it, along with a small M2 mark. "Look."

  Ilio leaned closer, inspecting the capsule carefully, then raised his eyes to Victor:

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Hide it immediately. We don't know what it contains. If it's here… I might have an idea where it should be. I've been observing… and I've seen it move somewhere. But how could it be there?"

  "You have a plan?" Louis asked cautiously. "Where and how do we go?"

  Ilio looked at them, a faint, cold smile on his lips:

  "Yes… I have a plan. But I doubt you'll like it."

  "What do you mean?" Louis asked, anxiety creeping in.

  Ilio spun quickly… and pushed Victor forcefully through the shattered window.

  The glass shattered with a deafening crash. Victor fell through the air, almost detached from the moment. Only one thought repeated in his mind:

  "I hope… I hope none of this is real."

  He landed among the dense trees; the branches softened the fall. He hit the ground without serious injury, wincing, clutching the capsule in his inner pocket and his injured shoulder with his left hand.

  From above, Ilio shouted:

  "Get to the car! We'll distract them while you go… meet us there!"

  A gun fell near Victor's feet. He picked it up, glanced at it briefly, and started moving through the undergrowth, mind adrift, the capsule secured.

  Inside the building…

  "Ilio… why did you do that?" Louis asked, suppressed anger in his voice, eyes glinting with worry.

  "To escape… we must split up," Ilio replied calmly. "If we stay together… we'll be trapped."

  "And what if the capsules are here?"

  "I suspect… if they're here, they're on the upper floors. We were always downstairs."

  "Then perhaps… the special case—Robert—got them from above."

  "Most likely. So we must divide roles: who searches… who distracts the guards."

  "You can't face the guards," Louis said firmly.

  Ilio smiled coldly:

  "You're right… so go search for the capsule room."

  "Wait… what did you just say?"

  "I think I was close enough for you to hear," Ilio said. "Never mind… I'll go deal with the guards. We meet at the car."

  Ilio departed quickly. Louis tried to stop him but couldn't. He sighed deeply and headed for the remaining three floors, inspecting each room with mounting anxiety.

  In the forest…

  Victor wandered, holding the capsule in his hand. The number 307 and the small M2 mark were unmistakable.

  "Yes… this is it. No doubt. It belongs to me."

  He paused, whispering to himself:

  "But why didn't he show it to me until he was dying? God… I don't know what I've done. Did I really… kill my son? No… impossible. Victor… don't think too much. I did the right thing. He can't be my son… our ages are too close."

  He recalled how Louis had taught him simple counting:

  "One… five… ten… twenty…"

  "With this… I'm 25."

  A sigh of relief:

  "Thank God… he was deceiving me. My heart can rest, for now."

  He continued slowly toward the car.

  Suddenly… he stopped. Two bodies covered in white cloth lay before him.

  "Poor souls…"

  He bent down, lifting the cloth slowly. One face was partially burned and distorted. Victor recoiled, trembling. He leaned against a tree, vomiting violently. With every wave, flashes of Robert's corpse and the bullet he fired himself haunted him.

  "My God… what's happening to me? This new self… unaccustomed to such scenes… How was I before I lost my memory? Was I used to inhuman deeds like this?"

  A faint sound reached him—a fallen comm device. He grabbed it, putting it to his ear.

  "It's Hamilton and the others… I've seen them wear these before. I'll keep it… see if anyone calls."

  Inside the building…

  Louis was confused, utterly lost. Searching every room, even the bathrooms, in vain.

  "This is absurd… What was Ilio thinking? How does he expect me to find the capsule room? And face fifty armed dogs? Nonsense…"

  He sat in an old chair, exhausted:

  "I'll wait here for Ilio… or not? Should I help him? Maybe I'll ruin his plan… Thinking about it, I'm oddly comforted by him. Things always go his way… Or is it just my impression that he's clever? Hah… he found it. I'll check Robert's special case. Hopefully, Ilio is doing well."

  Outside the building… at the doorway…

  The bodies of the dogs lay lifeless on the ground, each shot in the heart. In the middle… a figure with two pistols, blood spattered across his clothes, hands, and face. Of course… It was him.

  Ilio.

  "It was easy," he murmured. "I don't know how things are with Louis or Victor… but I expect Victor will find the earpiece near the bodies. Louis probably stopped searching and started doing something trivial. Now… I'm alone. I can take them."

  Ilio entered the building, heading for the elevator. Standing before the buttons, he murmured:

  "Victor Noctis."

  Suddenly, the other side of the elevator opened, revealing a secret staircase glowing with faint blue light. Ilio descended step by step, hand on his gun.

  Down…

  Down…

  He stopped.

  Before him was a hidden control room. Cameras watched the entire building. Old computers, a central chair. A good place to hide.

  "This isn't like Ashfal… it's their private room. But it's small, small enough to be contained in a safe, relatively small."

  He approached the chair, tearing off its cover quickly.

  "With ease… a place for the stash."

  He grabbed it, pulling it upwards. A small safe emerged, cold smoke and a faint scent of ice escaping.

  "Yes… the capsule safe. Wait… what's that sound?"

  A sharp whistle.

  Another whistle.

  Computer screens flashed red. In bold letters:

  "DANGER—DANGER."

  Ilio's eyes narrowed, a mix of triumph and tension:

  "Damn… they intend to blow the place up. We have to leave immediately."

  To be continued…