LOGINThe sharp metal blade caught the sunlight. It sent a flash of steel across Mayas eyes. She did not wait for the blade to touch her skin. With a burst of energy she kicked the metal tray out of the womans hands. Tools crashed onto the floor like rain on a tin roof."Get away from me!" Maya screamed.She rolled off the bed. Her legs felt like jelly after fifty years of sleep. Across the room two guards were pinning Benson to the wall. His face was full of pain. He was struggling to breathe."Leave him alone!" Maya ran toward the guards. The woman in the coat grabbed Mayas hair and pulled her back."You do not understand, Maya " the woman hissed in her ear. "The world you remember is gone. Nigeria is a memory. Earth is a graveyard. If you keep those memories they will hurt your mind. We are giving you a start. A perfect life on a world.""A perfect lie!" Maya twisted in the womans grip. She saw a heavy glass jar on a shelf. She grabbed it. Smashed it against the womans arm.The woman. Le
The video screen on the wall suddenly exploded into a bunch of sparks. The face of the man in the forest just disappeared into black smoke. Mayas fingers dug into Bensons shoulder so hard that her nails left marks on his skin. The real world they had fought to reach with its mountains and purple oceans now felt like a fake painting on a wall."If that thing is a tower " Benson whispered, his voice cracking like dry wood "then the Bridge never actually closed. We just walked into a room of the same house. We are still trapped.""Maya, Benson listen to me!" a new voice shouted. It was not coming from the screen but from the ships speakers. It was Dr. Okon. He sounded really desperate and scared. "The ship is going to dock with that tower. You have to stop it. If you land on the planet you will become part of the towers memory. You will forget the ship you will forget the stars. You will think you have lived in those blue forests your whole life.""How do we stop it?" Maya shouted at the
The metal floor under Mayas feet felt like ice. The dark light from Samuels Silver Pen was pulling at her chest. It was hard for Maya to breathe. Outside the window of the ship the stars were no longer small dots. They were long lines of light. The ship was moving faster than anything Maya could imagine.It was the second ship that made Maya feel very afraid.*The Rogues Redemption.* The name was written in black letters on a ship that was as black as night. It moved perfectly with their ship. It stayed in their shadow like a shark.Maya gasped. "What is that ship doing here?" She tried to pull her hand from the engine door but Maya was stuck. The black energy from the Pen was locking Maya and Benson into the machine.Samuel said, "That is the backup." He stood over them. His mirror-eyes showed the purple and gold sparks dying in the air. "You were the Maya.. A good engineer always has a spare part. If the Bridge breaks the Rogue takes over."Benson roared. "We are not parts!" He trie
Maya’s hand moved before her brain could even think about the anger. She grabbed a metal tray from a hospital cart and threw it as hard as she could. She aimed for the glass window where the woman stood.CLANG!The tray hit the glass and bounced off. It did not even leave a scratch. The woman with the clipboard did not move. She did not even blink. She just watched Maya with grey eyes. She clicked her pen against her board over and over.“Let us out!" Maya screamed. Her voice felt raw and painful. The air in the hallway was too clean and too quiet. "Benson do something! Break the glass!”Benson did not move. He was staring at his face in the glass. He reached up. Touched his left eye. A minutes ago that eye had been glowing with purple light. Now it was a normal dark eye. He looked at his hands. He was looking for the metal that used to be on his skin. It was gone.“It is gone Maya " he whispered. His shoulders dropped. His graduation gown looked too big for him. "The power is gone. I
Maya spun around fast. Her silver boots almost slipped on the glass floor. Her heart was beating fast like a bird that was trapped.Behind them a man was standing next to some TV parts. He did not look like a god or a machine. He was wearing a faded shirt and dusty pants. In his hand he had a pen that was giving off a bright white light."Stop!" the man shouted. His voice sounded rough like he had not spoken in a time."Who are you?" Benson growled. He stepped in front of Maya. His purple eye was glowing brightly and was casting long shadows on the scrap metal walls. He raised his glowing hand ready to fight."I am the person who wrote the line of this nightmare " the man said. He did not look scared of Bensons power. He looked very tired. He pointed his pen at the High Architect, who was still sitting calmly in his rocking chair."And I am the one who can stop him from finishing the final chapter of this book " he said."Another liar " the Architect said. He sipped his tea. Did not l
The purple dome of light around Maya and Benson made a humming sound. Outside the light the black shadow monsters hit the barrier like rain. Each time a shadow touched the light Maya felt a pain in her brain. It was not a physical fight; the shadows were trying to eat her thoughts and memories."We have to move Maya!" Benson shouted. He didn't pull her hand. Instead their hands seemed to be stuck by the purple light. When he stepped forward her body followed him automatically. It felt like they were two parts of one machine. They began to run toward the tall dark mountain in the distance."The survivors!" Maya cried out. She looked back at the beach. Her heart was racing with fear. "We can't leave them with those... Those teeth!""The Guardians are holding them back " Dr. Aris yelled. She was running beside them. Her face was pale and covered in sweat. She pointed back to the beach. The old woman and her group stood in a circle. They raised their wooden sticks. A soft white mist began
The silver hand broke through the stone like it was nothing, but it didn’t move the way a normal hand does. It slid forward, smooth and silent, as if it were liquid metal, not flesh. The moment it touched the subway air, the whole tunnel warmed up. Something sweet drifted through the darkness. Juli
The air wasn’t just cold—it was alive, crackling like something was about to snap. One second, the city hummed along, full of plants and sunlight from two burning stars. Then, from somewhere underneath, a deep rumble started creeping up. Maya pulled her hand away from Julian’s so fast, it was like
The little fishing boat’s engine roared, spitting and growling as it battled the wild North Atlantic waves. Freezing, salty water crashed onto Julian’s face, but he didn’t flinch. He gripped the wooden rail so hard his knuckles looked bone white. In his other hand, he clutched a silver locket, feel
The ground beneath the Silent Garden didn’t just shake—it groaned, deep and terrible, as if something enormous was dying below. Above the crystal ceiling, jet engines shattered the frozen silence.“They’re not waiting!” Julian yelled. He was loud, desperate. He seized Maya’s hand, gripping tightly.







