Eliya Ward stood close to Kaden, watching him clench his jaw in simmering anger.
Jaxon stood behind her, fully aware of Kadens mood. He remained silent, not wanting to provoke anything further.
Eliya cared little for Kadens emotions.
In the boiling stage of his restrained rage, the faint antiseptic scent of the infirmary mixed with the acrid trace of scorched metal dominated the smell of the lobby
Ryder stood up and gave Kaden a gentle tap on the shoulder, a silent signal to calm down and hear Eliya out.
Kaden sipped the last of his bitter coffee, letting the warmth settle through his veins as it turned cold inside him.
"The Black Archive doesnt exist", he said, voice low. "Its an illusion, something survivors tell themselves at night to sleep"
Eliyas expression flickered for a moment before resolving into quiet determination.
"Its a lie, it exist" Eliya said.
"The Archive exists. It was a project developed by a coalition of geneticists, bioengineers, and virologists. They left behind a blueprint, a serum based on uncorrupted DNA. Its our last shot."
"I am not your damn mission" Kaden said, setting the mug down with a clang.
Eliya stepped closer, her voice hardening.
"You are my mission. You re the only one who can help me retrieve the Black Archive"
Kadens jaw tightened. The name again. That damned myth.
He stood, towering over her.
"You sound like one of those Sovereign-approved scientists." He said laughing bitterly
What did you say your name was again? Dr. Eliya, right? Now I get it. He laughed again, it was a hollow and sharp laugh.
Eliya sensed the strain beneath the mockery. Kaden was exhausted from surviving, from hoping, from chasing a story he no longer believed in.
"Look, Kaden Mercer, whatever it is that made you hate the idea of the Black Archive, I am sorry" she said. "But we have to move. Time waits for no one"
"I lost my brother chasing a hope packaged in lies" he snapped
"No" she replied. "This isnt hope. This is a fact. I have coordinates and Data. Not from the Sovereign Hand but from my mentor, Dr. Lena Arctis. One of the last surviving members of the team that created the Archive"
Kadens eyes narrowed.
"I dont care if it was built by the powers of Eden"
"I am not chasing ghosts. I live by orders from the Sovereign Hand, the job is simple track survivors, extract them to safety and keep the route clear from shades. Thats it"
Ryder and Jaxon exchanged glances, silently observing the tense exchange.
Kaden moved to walk past Eliya, but she stepped in his way.
"So, youre just going to keep following orders while the world burns slower every day? While more Shades evolve? While more people die?"
"I am trying to save the people I can reach!" Kadens voice echoed louder than intended. "Not waste time chasing fantasies in dead zones"
Eliya stepped back, visibly shaken by his temper but still resolute.
And who do you think sent me to you? Eliya askec
"I dont know, but go back and tell them Im not interested"
"Kaden, its been years since you were sent on this mission to save lives. But the Sovereign Hand sent me to get you and to embark on this mission"
Kaden froze. The mention of the Sovereign Hand halted him. How could they want him to abandon the orders they had originally given? Did they believe in the Archive myth too? Why hadnt they contacted him directly?
The Sovereign Hand would have ordered me first, before you arrived,he said.
Eliya held his gaze, taking a deep breath.
"Actually, they didnt inform you because they are still contemplating it, ever since Dr. Ethan Thompsons dropped his last message"
"Oh, I see. The Sovereign didnt approve of of your mission. So why the hell are you here, bothering me and everyone else?"
"They approved of everything Dr. Ethan Thompson believed in. His last words were to find Kaden Mercer and recover the Black Archive. And while the Sovereign still debates calling you, I chose to come to you first." She lied posing an innocent face.
"No wonder you didnt know what I looked like,Kaden said. You probably ran off before you had a chance to even check".
"Dr. Thompsons last words were to find Kaden Mercer. I think it had everything to do with the Archive, something the Sovereign Hand still doesnt understand" Eliya said.
Kaden went still. Memories resurfaced, his meeting with General Ashton of the Sovereign Hand, entrusting him with the duty of saving lives.
"Your brother believed in the Archive, didnt he?" Eliya said softly.
Kaden froze. The mention of brother made him remember Silas. Those memories sliced through him like a blade. The name hung in the air like poison.
"He believed it could undo what the virus did" she continued. He believed it could save you, too right?"
Kadens expression cracked for just a moment, then the walls of his emotions slammed back into a place.
"Dont talk about Silas",he growled. "You dont know anything about him"
"I know he was working with a rogue faction that believed the Archive was humanity's last chance" Eliya continued
Kaden looked away.
"I guess those rumored lies about Silas are still flying around Paxville" Kaden muttered. "Oh, he saved others but couldnt save his own brother. Oh, he mustve died from the virus or something"...Kaden's word's trailed off, whispering bitterly: "Blah. Blah. Blah".
"You all know nothing about the pain of losing a brother" he added, voice cracking with emotion.
"I am sorry for your loss but what if he didnt die out there? What if he disappeared on a run to the Dead Expanse, where the Archive is rumored to be buried?"
"I buried his body,Kaden said. Or what was left of it, my brother can't be a life still" Kaden said.
"What makes you think it's Silas you buried" Eliya asked
"Honestly I don't know anymore what I buried but I believed my brother was dead and gone" Kaden said
"That's what you need to help me find the black archive so that more people live rather than die" Eliya voice dropped.
"The black archive is myth" Kaden insisted.
"How much more do I need to convince you" Eliya said with a frustrating tone
Kaden snapped his head toward her, eyes wild.
Eliya didnt flinch. She took a slow, steady breath despite the fear rising inside her.
"The Sovereign Hand declared the Archive a myth because they couldnt control the rogue factions searching for it. They needed time to find it themselves. Thats why they sent you to rescue survivors—while they figured it out"
"You got it wrong" ,Kaden said. "The Vesper virus is dangerous, we all know that. But we need survivors to keep the future alive. With or without the Archive, Earth still has a future to rebuild"
"I think they re afraid the Archive might be tampered with and they will loose their purpose and power over the people, the black archive still needs to be reassembled and studied,Eliya replied confidently"
"You dont know what youre talking about" Kaden said.
"I know more than you think" she said. The Archive could reset the virus. And maybe probably treat it or rather erase it. No more Shades. No more mutations. A world reborn"
Kaden turned away. He couldnt look at her.
"How many people have you saved, Kaden?she asked her voice rising up How many have died anyway? You know youre fighting a losing war. One survivor at a time wont fix a broken planet. So we need to act fast"
He didnt respond. The silence spoke for him. Kaden's mind was made up he wasn't interested in any mission Eliya could read the same meaning.
"Can somebody help me with this guy?" she said, turning to Jaxon and then to Ryder. "You all have been too quiet say something to him" Eliya shouted
They ignored her.
"Please," she said with low and pleading voice to Kaden "We have to find the Archive together. We retrieve the serum. We use it to rebuild"
Kaden looked back at her, his eyes shadowed.
You dont understand what that Archive cost me.
"I am trying to, but please don't let this opportunity slip off our hands" she said, tears warming up her eyes.
"Then listen closely" ,he growled. "The last time I believed in the Archive, my brother went missing. His signal went dead. I found a blood trail leading into a pit full of what looked like Shade husks. I found his necklace. His boots. Burned rations with his name on them. You think I dont want a cure? I bled for that cure. And I was wrong"
Eliyas mouth opened, but no words came.
"I am done chasing hope" ,Kaden said, with a flat voice. "Hope gets people killed"
He turned away, walking toward the corridor.
"I will be in my chambers" he said over his shoulder. If I receive another signal "I will go after another survivor. For now, I need to be alone." He said walking off while Jaxon and Ryder kept mute. The knew Kaden was referring to them, he wouldn't want to have any of them coming to his quarters to plead on Eliya's behalf.
Eliya stared after him, fists clenched. Her lips trembled, but her eyes burned with fury.
Then she said it.
"If you walk away now, I will tell the others what I know"
Kaden stopped.
"I know about your virus surges,she continued coldly. You think no one noticed? The bursts of power. The way you heal too fast. The way you crushed that Raider like he was made of cardboard"
Ryder signaled to Jaxon. They left the infirmary lobby and headed upstairs to the medical ward, muting the rising voices to avoid alarming the patients. Ryder probably feared Kaden might snap.
Kaden turned back slowly, eyes blazing.
"Youve got no idea what youre playing with" he said, voice low and dangerous.
"Oh, I think I do,she said. You are infected, Kaden. But not mutated. Your body took control of the virus. You could ve become a Shade, but you got lucky. You became something else. Something immune and Resistant"
"The Archive could stabilize you, bring you back to normal, if you want. But I believe it's because of your immunity that Dr. Ethan Thompson recommended we find you. With your Immunity you will be able to access the dangerous place where the black Archive is being kept. Also you will receive the feel the black Archive true nature so that we can know if its really a cure… or another virus in store" Eliya Said
"Dont you dare make me your experiment" Kaden growled.
"We don't have a choice Kaden, you have to try it out. Your are immune nothing is going to happen to you if the experiment goes bad" she said.
Kaden stormed toward her, barely restraining his fury.
"You threaten me again,he said in a whisper of thunder, and youll wish the Shades had gotten to you first"
But Eliya didnt back down.
"If you leave me now" she said, " you are not just walking away from a cure. You are walking away from humanities last hope"
Kaden paused, breathing hard. For a moment, time held still. He could feel his emotions conflicting between the right and wrongs of the intended mission.
Then, without another word, he turned and vanished down the corridor.
Eliya stood in the silence, staring at the door as he'd disappeared through. Alone.