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The Firstborn

Author: smarto
last update publish date: 2026-08-31 16:01:06

The rusted chain around the iron box fell to the floorboards with a heavy, metallic clatter.

Noah stood three feet away, his heart knocking against his ribs like a hammer. All around the stage, the ten armed Apex guards kept their black pistols trained straight on his chest. In the shadowy corners of the high-ceilinged room, the wealthy buyers sat frozen in their plush chairs, too terrified to move or make a sound.

William slowly lifted the lid of the small iron box.

Inside lay a stack of yello
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  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Firstborn

    The cold morning wind off the river blew across the concrete pier, carrying the bitter smell of burnt rubber and salty water.Noah stood entirely still, his arms dropping slowly to his sides. His heart pounded like a heavy hammer against his ribs as he stared at the young man standing on the truck ramp.Subject Zero-One looked so much like Noah that it felt like looking into a clear glass mirror. But there was no hesitation in Zero-One's eyes, no warmth, and no fear. He held the dark grey remote control steady in his right hand, his thumb resting lightly against the yellow toggle switch.Fifty yards out on the river, the black motorboat rocked gently in the tide. Sarah stood at the front rail, her face pale as she looked from Zero-One to Noah."Don't do it, Noah!" Sarah shouted across the water, her voice breaking. "Don't listen to him!"Zero-One didn't even turn his head toward her. His dark blue eyes stayed fixed straight on Noah's face."She always speaks too much," Zero-One said,

  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Master Switch

    The cold concrete felt like ice against Noah’s bare hands.His knees buckled, dropping him heavy onto the hard ground. Every single muscle in his arms and legs went stiff, locking up as if his blood had suddenly turned to wet cement.All around him on the open pier, thirty-six young men hit the ground at the exact same moment. The heavy sound of thirty-six bodies crashing onto the concrete echoed across the empty waterfront like a falling wall.Noah tried to lift his head. The simple effort made his neck throb with a sharp, burning pain. Through the blur in his eyes, he saw Luke lying two feet away, gasping for air, his teeth clamped so tight his jaw looked ready to snap. Julian was on his side, his hands twitching against the rough ground, unable to lift his arms off the floor."Luke..." Noah managed to push the word out through his locked jaw. "Don't... fight it...""I... can't move..." Luke wheezed, his face turning red with exertion. "My legs... feel dead."On the far side of the

  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Water's Edge

    The cold river spray splashed against Noah’s face as the motorboat bobbed gently in the choppy water fifty yards from the concrete pier.The deep hum of the boat's dual V8 engines dropped to a low, steady idle.Noah stood on the front deck, his fingers gripping the cold stainless steel railing. Across the grey water, the high concrete wall of the Manhattan Bridge pier looked like a dark gray stage under the pale morning sun.Lined up along the edge were thirty-six young men. They wore matching black coats, dark trousers, and plain leather boots. Their faces were completely still, their arms hanging loosely at their sides, their eyes staring blankly out at the water without blinking.In the middle of the line stood Doctor Evelyn Reed. Her dark hair was messy, her clothes were stained with soot and grease from her escape at Pier 42, and her eyes burned with a wild, desperate light. In her right hand, she held a thick black plastic box with a bright red toggle switch guarded by a small p

  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Dark Room

    The blinding white light vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind a thick, suffocating darkness inside the ruined shipping container.The pungent smell of burnt copper and cordite smoke filled the small room, making Noah’s throat burn with every breath. His ears rang with a sharp, high-pitched hum from the flash sphere's shockwave."Julian! Maya!" Noah shouted into the dark, sweeping his hands franticly across the top of the steel workbench."I'm here, Noah!" Julian called back, his voice coming from two feet to the left. He sounded disoriented, coughing hard as he stumbled over a fallen metal stool."Don't move!" Maya’s voice sharp and firm echoed from near the broken front entrance. "The shockwave blew out the main breaker! I'm turning on the emergency battery lights!"A soft CLICK sounded from the wall, followed by the low, mechanical hum of an auxiliary battery box.A dull, amber emergency light mounted near the ceiling flickered to life, casting long, spooky shadows

  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Red Lotus

    The quiet, dim light inside the steel shipping container felt instantly heavy and suffocating.Noah stood completely still, his eyes glued to the small security screen mounted above the workbench.On the black-and-white digital display, Luke stood in the cold wind of the Newark gravel yard, his arms raised high above his head. His dark coat was torn at the shoulder, and his face was bruised from his fight back at the Manhattan armory.Behind Luke, holding the barrel of a heavy black handgun pressed directly against the base of Luke’s skull, was Subject Zero-Two.Zero-Two looked like Noah’s dark mirror image. He had the same sharp jaw, the same dark blue eyes, and the exact same height. But across his forehead, running from his hairline down to his right eyebrow, was a thick red lotus tattoo that stood out starkly against his pale skin."Noah, don't open that door!" Luke shouted toward the camera, his raspy voice tight with tension. "He brought three Vanguard strike teams with him! The

  • He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever   The Echoing Voice

    Sarah’s dry lips parted wider under the bright fluorescent lights of the broadcast room, her vacant eyes fixed on the silver microphone held by Commander Vance."The..." Sarah repeated softly, her voice raspy from the sweet purple gas floating through the air. "...lotus..."Noah’s heart hammered violently against his ribs. He gripped the iron frame of the reinforced glass doors, his knuckles turning stark white as he looked around the narrow concrete hallway for anything to break the heavy glass."Marcus! Luke! Help me!" Noah yelled, slamming his shoulder against the central seam of the locked doors with all his strength.BOOM!The thick glass didn't even vibrate. The red light on the electronic panel continued to blink with a steady, harsh rhythm: ACCESS DENIED."It's three-inch bulletproof glass, Noah!" Luke shouted, grabbing a heavy metal fire extinguisher from the wall mount and swinging it like a sledgehammer directly at the center pane.BANG!Sparks flew, leaving only a tiny whi

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