~ Chapter 8: The Labyrinth of Glass ~

 The Aethelgard Tower stood like an obsidian shard against the bruised purple sky. It was surrounded by a sea of floodlights and patrolling drones, a fortress of glass and steel that seemed to pulse with a low-frequency hum. This was the neural-fence, a silent wall of energy that could turn a human mind into static in a heartbeat.

Elias and Clara crouched in the shadows of a nearby parking garage. Elias was wearing a stolen corporate uniform, his face hidden beneath a tactical visor. He felt the weight of his restored memories like a physical burden, a thousand voices whispering in the back of his mind.

“The perimeter is active”, Clara whispered, checking her handheld scanner. 

I've managed to loop the camera feed for three minutes. That's all the time you have to get to the service elevator.

“What about you?”Elias asked.

“I'll stay here and monitor the network. If I can find a back-door, I'll try to disable the internal sensors. But once you're inside, you're on your own, Elias”

Elias nodded. He gripped the black-box chip in his pocket. It felt warm, as if it were responding to the proximity of the tower. He stepped out of the shadows and began to walk toward the main gate.

As he approached the invisible line of the neural-fence, he felt a sudden pressure in his skull. It was a high-pitched ringing that made his teeth ache. He closed his eyes, focusing on the restored patterns of his original mind. He projected the image of the Lead Technician, the man who belonged here.

The pressure intensified, then suddenly vanished. He was through.

He moved quickly across the plaza, avoiding the sweeping beams of the searchlights. He reached the service entrance and pressed his palm against the scanner. For a terrifying second, the light stayed red. Then, with a soft chime, it turned green.

“Welcome back, Director Elias”, a pleasant, synthetic voice said.

He stepped inside. The lobby was a cavernous space of white marble and cascading water. It was eerily quiet, the only sound the distant hum of the building's life-support systems. He made his way to the private elevator that led directly to the penthouse.

The doors opened, and he found himself face-to-face with Sloane.

She was standing in the center of the elevator, her hand resting on the hilt of a shock-baton. Her eyes, once filled with warmth, were now cold and analytical. She didn't look surprised to see him.

“You shouldn't have come back, Elias”, she said, her voice devoid of emotion. 

“Vance knew you would. He's been waiting for you.”

“I know you're in there, Sloane”, Elias said, stepping into the elevator. 

I remember us. I remember the balcony. I remember what we promised each other. Sloane's expression didn't flicker. Memories are just data, Elias. And data can be corrupted. I've been cleaning. I don't feel anything for you.

“Then why didn't you kill me in the alley?” Elias challenged, stepping closer. 

“Why did you let me go to the construction yard?”

For a split second, a shadow of doubt crossed her face. Her hand tightened on the baton. «I was tracking you. Ensuring you led us to the drive.”

“Liar”, Elias whispered.

The elevator began to rise. The floor-indicator climbed rapidly-50, 60, 70. The pressure in the car increased, making Elias's ears pop. He looked at Sloane, searching for any sign of the woman he had loved.

“Vance is using the tower to rewrite the city's history, Sloane. He's going to erase everyone's mistakes, everyone's grief, and replace it with his own version of the truth. Is that the world you want to protect?”

“It's a world without pain”, she replied, but her voice lacked conviction.

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to reveal the penthouse. It was exactly as it had been in the memory - glass walls, the obsidian floor, the sharp, modern furniture.And in the corner, the grandfather clock with the liquid silver face.

Sloane stepped out first, her weapon drawn.

“He wants to see you before the end”

Elias followed her, his eyes fixed on the clock. He was walking into his own murder, and the woman he loved was the one bleeding him to blade.