CHAPTER 39 – Whispers in the Dark
Xavier's POV
The steady hum of the machines in my room was both a comfort and a curse. Every beep reminded me I was alive — but also that I was weak, bound to this bed while enemies moved freely in the shadows. Cassandra's threats echoed in my mind, each word sharper than the pain in my ribs. She wasn't bluffing. She never bluffed.
I turned my head slowly, wincing as the motion tugged at my stitches. Through the tall windows of the mansion, the night spread endlessly, dark and watchful. Guards patrolled outside, their shadows crossing the beams of security lights, but deep down I knew steel gates and armed men wouldn't be enough. Cassandra wasn't after my life alone — she was after NeuroRegen.
The project had been my greatest achievement… and my greatest regret. In the wrong hands, it wasn't salvation. It was devastation.
The door creaked open softly. Luna stepped in, carrying a tray with careful hands. Her eyes lit up when she saw me awake, and for a moment, the walls around my heart cracked.
"You should be resting," she whispered, setting the tray down.
"I can't rest," I rasped, my throat dry. "Not when Cassandra is this close." My gaze locked onto hers. "Luna… if she gets what she wants, the world won't survive it."
Her expression shifted — fear, confusion, and determination battling in her eyes. She moved closer, sitting at the edge of my bed. "Then we won't let her have it. Tell me what NeuroRegen really is, Xavier. No more secrets."
My chest tightened. For years, I'd hidden the truth, believing it was safer locked away. But seeing Luna's unwavering gaze, I realized the burden was no longer mine alone to carry. "It's more than a cure, Luna. It's a key… a way to manipulate memory, identity, even free will. Cassandra doesn't just want control over me — she wants control over everyone."
Her breath caught. "Then we need to destroy it before she finds it." Before I could answer, the mansion's security system let out a low, distorted beep. Luna and I both turned toward the monitor on the wall. A single message flickered across the screen in harsh red text:
YOU CAN'T HIDE THE TRUTH FOREVER. THE PAST ALWAYS BREAKS THROUGH.
Luna's hand gripped mine tightly.
Dami's POV
The bar at the edge of the city was loud and smoky, the perfect place for whispers to vanish into the night. I sat across from Alexei, nursing a drink I barely tasted. His eyes darted constantly, every movement twitchy, paranoid. Good. Fear made men talk.
"You've been quiet," I said, leaning back casually. "That doesn't suit you." Alexei's jaw tightened. "I shouldn't even be here. If Cassandra finds out—"
"She already knows," I cut in smoothly, watching his face pale. "You think she doesn't suspect you're wavering? You think she hasn't tested your loyalty?" His hand trembled around his glass. "You don't understand. She has eyes everywhere. If I betray her, I'm dead."
I leaned forward, lowering my voice. "If you don't betray her, Alexei… Xavier is dead. And Luna. And the boy. You've seen Cassandra's plans. Tell me what she wants with NeuroRegen."
For a moment, the only sound was the hum of the bar's neon light. Then Alexei exhaled shakily. "She doesn't just want the research files. She wants the prototype. And I know where she plans to strike next."
My pulse quickened. "Where?"
Alexei leaned in, his voice barely audible. "The old biotech facility on the outskirts of the city — the one Xavier shut down years ago. Cassandra's already moved men and equipment there. She believes that's where the prototype is hidden."
My stomach dropped. That facility was supposed to be scrubbed clean, locked away in the past. If Cassandra had discovered its secrets… we were in more danger than I'd imagined. Alexei's eyes flicked nervously to the exit before he continued, voice hoarse. "She's building something there, Dami. Not just an operation — an army. She plans to use NeuroRegen to strip people of their free will, rewrite their memories, and rebuild them as loyal soldiers. She calls it Project Dominion."
The name alone sent a chill through me. "She wants a world where no one thinks for themselves. A world bent to her will." His voice cracked. "And she'll start with Xavier. She believes his mind is the final key to unlocking full control of the prototype."
I clenched my fists under the table. So that was her plan — enslave the world, beginning with the man she once claimed to love. "Why tell me this now?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.
Alexei's gaze hardened with desperation. "Because I can't do it anymore. I signed up to protect people, not destroy them. But you have to move fast, Dami. Cassandra isn't waiting. She's planning her strike in the next forty-eight hours."
I sat back, letting his words sink in, my mind racing. Forty-eight hours. That was all the time we had left to stop Cassandra before she unleashed hell.
I pulled out my phone, sending a coded message to Desmond: "We have the location. Prepare for war..
After a few drinks and small talk, Alexei and I left the bar with plans to meet again soon ...