Aftermath

In Horizon Biotech’s lab, a heavy silence hung in the air. The 13 researchers who had ventured to Vastora were dead, their brain data corrupted beyond repair.

Inside a dimly lit office, Alexis sat with Ken, scrolling furiously through footage on his laptop. The screen’s glow reflected off his glasses, obscuring the frustration etched across his face.
“Where’s Mack? That bastard must know something,” Alexis snapped, his tone sharp.

Ken leaned against the desk, arms crossed. “Relax. I’ve already called him. He’s on his way.”

Before Alexis could respond, the door creaked open, and Magnus Wren stepped inside. But this wasn’t the commanding, enigmatic director of Horizon Corp HQ. This was a younger Magnus—a researcher with a casual demeanor and a faint smirk of familiarity.

“Hey, Mag,” Ken said, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just have a near-death experience? Maybe take a break?”

Magnus waved him off and dropped into a chair. “Break’s over. Two months is long enough. Besides, this is too interesting to sit out.”

Alexis turned his laptop screen toward Magnus, the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin. “Look at this—your ‘god’ act. Still got it!” He replayed a clip of Magnus at Horizon Corp HQ, delivering an imposing monologue about divinity.

Magnus rolled his eyes but couldn’t help chuckling. “Five years of that nonsense... I might as well join the theater at this point.”

Ken cleared his throat loudly. “Not to kill the mood, but we have a serious case on our hands. Maybe focus on that?”

Magnus’s expression sobered. “Fair point. Someone used 'Reverse Reflex'; that much is clear. But that alone shouldn’t have killed them. Something else is at play.”

Alexis adjusted his glasses, his mind already racing. “Call Mack. We need answers.”

“I told you—he’s coming,” Ken repeated, exasperated.

Magnus leaned back, thoughtful. “Let me take a look at the data and logs.”

“Right,” Alexis said, snapping his fingers. “Almost forgot we’ve got an expert in the house.”

The trio headed to the lab, the cold, sterile air amplifying the weight of the mystery. Elara stood at a workstation, surrounded by holographic displays of data. She turned as they entered, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I’ve gone over everything,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration. “I still can’t figure out why they died or why their brain data is corrupted. Luckily, we have backups.”

Alexis gestured dramatically toward Magnus. “That’s why we brought in the big guns. Ta-da!”

Elara smirked faintly. “Magnus. Long time. Last time I saw you, you were, oh, dying.”

Magnus gave a dry chuckle. “Good to see you too.”

He approached the bodies, his expression shifting to one of intense focus. The others watched as he reviewed the data and played the footage. After several minutes, he straightened, his face grim.

“The gun used to shoot them is coded in a completely different programming language—and it’s not CHERRY,” Magnus said, his voice steady but grave.

Ken frowned, leaning against the table. “Yeah, we saw that ponytail guy—Kieran, right?—get shot in the head. So, it’s certain now: they all died the same way. But it happened when everything went black, right before it all turned red.”

Magnus nodded. “Exactly.”

Elara stepped forward, her expression clouded with concern. “But why is their brain data corrupted? No one confirmed their deaths. No one used the ‘data destruction’ function. And dying in Ethereon shouldn’t cause this—Magnus, you were fine after... well, after you died. And your brain data was intact.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances. The eerie silence in the room amplified their unease.

Magnus broke the quiet. “Who were those glitch-faced people? Why did they kill the others when everything went black? And why only Kieran when it turned red? It’s possible those people were also coded in a different language.”

Ken’s brow furrowed as he processed the questions. “Wait, how can any programming language other than CHERRY run in Ethereon?”

Magnus nodded slowly. “As far as I know, Ethereon doesn’t support any other language... so what’s going on?”

Alexis crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on Magnus. “Hey, Magnus, you’ve been in Ethereon longer than anyone. You’ve never seen those glitchy-faced people before?”

Magnus shook his head, his tone firm. “No. Not once.”

Elara’s voice was quieter this time, tinged with frustration. “If Ethereon doesn’t support other languages, is there a fault in the system?”

No one had an answer. The questions lingered in the sterile lab air, unanswered, as if the room itself held its breath, waiting for the next revelation.

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out—things have been super busy for me lately. But don’t worry, I’ll keep writing whenever I can find the time. Thanks so much for your support!