#15: On the Brink of Truth

Caio sat on the floor of the terrace, keeping his hands visible, while Lara and Dante watched him with attentive eyes. The tension was clear, but there was something in his posture that suggested sincerity — or, at the very least, desperation.

“I’ll be direct,” he began, his voice firm but controlled. “Project Aurora is bigger than you think. You stirred up a hornet’s nest, and now the whole system is after you.”

Lara crossed her arms impatiently.

“We already know that. Say something useful.”

Caio glanced at her briefly, but nodded.

“Right. Aurora isn’t just about the immortality of the rich. It’s a test. They want to see how far they can go before expanding it to other parts of the world.”

“Expand?” Dante interrupted, frowning. “Are you saying the plan is global?”

Caio nodded, his expression somber.

— Exactly. And what’s more: they already have prototypes of how to control those who don’t fit their criteria. It’s not just about discarding the poor. It’s about maintaining absolute control over those who are left.

Lara narrowed her eyes, her mind working quickly.

— Control… like what? Implants? Monitoring networks?

— All of that and more — Caio replied. — They’re creating a neural suppression technology. Something that can erase thoughts, emotions, even memories.

Dante let out a low whistle.

— That’s… dystopian.

— It’s real — Caio countered. — And you two are a direct threat to that. That’s why they won’t stop until they’re done with you.

Lara laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.

— Well, that’s new. Now, why do you want to help us?

Caio hesitated for a moment, his expression softening.

— Because I was once like you. I believed in the system, followed the rules, did everything right… until I realized I was just supporting this scheme. I saw good people being thrown away like trash. Furthermore. Not only that, but I don’t want this to continue.

Lara exchanged a quick glance with Dante, who still had his hand near his gun.

— And what do you suggest? — Dante asked, still suspicious.

Caio took a deep breath before answering.

— I have access to internal data. Plans, locations, names of those behind this. If you trust me, I can help bring all of this to the public.

— And how do we know you won’t screw us over? — Lara asked, her voice cold.

Caio smiled wearily.

— There’s no way. It’s a risk you’re going to have to take.

A Desperate Plan

After a long discussion, Lara finally gave in.

— Okay, Caio. We'll listen to what you have. But if you do anything suspicious, I'll finish you off myself.

Dante nodded in agreement.

“Me too.”

Caio smiled slightly.

“Fair enough.”

As they settled in, Lara opened her laptop and connected to the clandestine network she used to store data.

“Give me what you have,” she ordered.

Caio pulled a small storage device from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Here. But be careful. The data is encrypted and has built-in trackers. They'll know if you access it without protection.”

Lara arched an eyebrow.

“So if I open this now, I'm basically sending them my location?”

“Exactly,” Caio replied, his tone serious. “We'll need a secure environment for that.”

Dante sighed.

“Great. More complications.” Lara closed the laptop and put it away.

— Then we need to find this safe environment. And fast.

Ambush in the Dark

Before they could leave the terrace, the sound of engines echoed through the air. Lara looked up at the sky and saw three drones patrolling the area, their lights cutting through the darkness like headlights.

— Damn, they're already here! — Dante said, pulling out his gun again.

Caio looked around, trying to think quickly.

— You have to get out of here. I'll distract them.

— No way! — Lara replied. — Do you think you'll be able to fool them alone?

— It's better than all of us getting caught — Caio replied, already moving towards the edge of the building.

Dante grabbed him by the arm.

— No. We're going to get out of here together.

Lara, meanwhile, was already rummaging through her backpack. She pulled out another device and activated it.

— This will overload their sensors. It'll give us a few seconds to escape.

“You carry those things in your backpack?” Caio asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I'm full of tricks,” Lara replied, with a quick smile.

The device released an electromagnetic pulse, and the drones began to spin wildly in the air. Seizing the opportunity, the three of them descended the emergency stairs and merged with the crowd in the streets below.

As they walked away, Lara looked at Dante and Caio.

“I hope you're ready, because this is just beginning.”

Dante nodded, with a half smile.

“Always ready.”

And so, their fight continued, each step closer to the truth — and the danger.