Elera was still in Arthur’s arms.
Neither of them spoke.
Everything they had been unable to say for years remained trapped inside that silence.
For a few seconds…
there was peace.
Then—
Beep.
The wall screen lit up again.
Arthur slowly raised his head.
A single sentence appeared against the black display.
EMOTIONAL BOND CONFIRMED.
A second line appeared beneath it.
TARGET CHANGED.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed.
“Elera…”
She looked at the screen.
Her expression changed instantly.
“No.”
Arthur turned toward her.
“What is it?”
Elera took a step backward.
“Not us.”
Arthur frowned.
“What?”
Her voice trembled.
“Not you.”
She swallowed.
“They targeted me.”
The lights went out.
Instantly.
Darkness swallowed the room.
One second.
Two.
Then—
A small red light appeared at the far end of the corridor.
Arthur saw it.
A targeting laser.
His body moved before his mind could finish processing what he was seeing.
He shoved Elera away.
BANG!
The gunshot tore through the room.
Elera was thrown backward.
“ELERA!”
Arthur dropped to his knees.
“Elera!”
She didn’t answer.
Arthur’s hands froze above her.
For the first time in his life…
he didn’t immediately know what to do.
Not in Area 19.
Not during missions.
Not when surrounded by armed personnel.
Not even when someone had died in front of him.
He had always known what came next.
Assess.
Calculate.
Act.
But now—
There was no calculation.
Only fear.
Arthur looked toward the corridor.
The red laser was already disappearing.
His hand moved.
BANG.
Then again.
BANG.
Two more shots followed.
BANG.
BANG.
The shooter disappeared around the corner.
Arthur didn’t follow.
He couldn’t.
Not while Elera was lying on the floor.
The speakers crackled.
“A-1.”
Arthur slowly raised his head.
The voice continued.
“We’re watching you.”
Arthur’s eyes became cold.
“Show yourself.”
“No.”
A brief pause.
“First…”
The voice became almost amused.
“…watch yourself lose her.”
Arthur immediately turned back.
“No.”
Elera’s eyes opened slightly.
“Arthur…”
Arthur dropped beside her.
“I’m here.”
Her breathing was shallow.
“I…”
“Don’t talk.”
Arthur pressed his hand against the wound.
“Don’t talk.”
Elera slowly raised her hand.
Arthur caught it.
Her fingers were weak.
But warm.
Still warm.
“Do you remember?”
Arthur’s eyes filled with tears.
“What?”
“The little toy…”
His breath caught.
“…they gave us.”
Arthur swallowed.
“I remember.”
Elera smiled faintly.
“You gave it to me.”
“Yes.”
“Because I was crying.”
Arthur’s voice broke.
“Yes.”
Elera closed her eyes for a moment.
“I told you something too.”
Arthur couldn’t speak.
Elera took a shallow breath.
“If we ever get out of here one day…”
Arthur tightened his grip around her hand.
“We will.”
“Arthur…”
“We will.”
“Listen to me.”
“No.”
For the first time, Arthur’s voice sounded almost desperate.
“I’m not losing you this time.”
A tear slipped from Elera’s eye.
“You never left me.”
Arthur froze.
“They separated us.”
Elera gave him the faintest smile.
“But you still found me.”
Arthur lowered his head.
“I should have found you sooner.”
“No.”
“I left you alone for years.”
“You were a child.”
“I couldn’t protect you.”
Elera slowly raised her hand.
Her fingertips touched his cheek.
“Arthur…”
Arthur held her hand against his face.
“Tell me.”
“If one day…”
Her breathing became weaker.
“If one day remembering me becomes painful…”
“It won’t.”
“Let me finish.”
Arthur fell silent.
Elera looked directly into his eyes.
“Then don’t forget the pain either.”
A tear slipped down Arthur’s cheek.
One drop.
Then another.
Elera saw them.
And smiled.
“There…”
Her voice was barely audible.
“That’s the real Arthur.”
Arthur shook his head.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I’m A-1.”
The smile disappeared from Elera’s face.
She placed her hand against his chest.
“You’re Arthur.”
Silence.
“Not A-1.”
Her voice weakened further.
“Not E-17 either.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“You…”
Elera squeezed his hand with the last of her strength.
“You’re…”
She struggled to breathe.
“…my childhood friend.”
Arthur’s lips trembled.
“Elera.”
“And…”
She took one final breath.
“I love you.”
Arthur froze.
Those words…
were something Area 19 had never taught him how to answer.
Elera’s fingers slowly loosened.
“Elera?”
Nothing.
Arthur tightened his grip.
“Elera?”
Silence.
“Elera.”
Louder this time.
“Elera!”
Nothing.
Arthur lowered his head against her chest.
One second.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
His world stopped.
He lifted his head.
And for several seconds…
he simply stared at her.
Then the expression on his face emptied.
Not rage.
Not grief.
Something colder.
Something far more dangerous.
The speakers crackled.
“A-1…”
Arthur slowly looked toward the camera.
The voice continued.
“Stand up.”
Arthur did.
“No.”
The voice paused.
Arthur picked up the gun from the floor.
“A-1 hasn’t begun.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“Arthur has.”
One by one, the screens throughout the room came alive.
Dozens of camera feeds.
Corridors.
Security rooms.
Observation chambers.
Old Area 19 recordings.
And finally—
A childhood photograph. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Elera.
Young.
Smiling.
Standing beside Arthur.
Arthur stared at the image.
For one brief second…
his eyes trembled.
Then—
CRACK!
His fist smashed through the screen.
Glass scattered across the floor.
“Give her back to me.”
No answer.
Arthur looked up.
His voice rose.
“GIVE HER BACK TO ME!”
The sound echoed through the room.
It was the first time Arthur had shouted like that.
Not from anger.
Not from pain.
From helplessness.
The kind of helplessness he had spent his entire life learning to suppress.
A message appeared on another screen.
TEST COMPLETE.
Arthur stared at it.
Another line appeared.
A-1: FAILED.
Arthur’s expression hardened.
“No.”
The screen flickered.
EMOTIONAL BOND: BROKEN.
Arthur stepped closer.
Another line appeared.
CONDITIONING RESPONSE: PENDING.
His eyes narrowed.
Then came the final message.
NOW LET’S SEE THE REAL A-1.
Arthur stared at the words.
For a long time…
he said nothing.
Then he turned.
Elera was still lying on the floor.
He walked back to her.
Slowly.
He dropped to his knees.
Took her hand.
It was already beginning to lose its warmth.
Arthur lowered his head.
“I lost you again.”
His voice was barely audible.
Tears fell onto the floor.
“But this time…”
He slowly raised his head.
His eyes were different.
Not empty.
Not controlled.
Not obedient.
Determined.
“I’ll find everyone who did this.”
The camera continued recording.
Arthur knew it.
He looked directly into the lens.
“You wanted A-1?”
Silence.
“You should have killed Arthur first.”
The screens flickered.
For the first time…
there was no response.
Arthur stood.
He looked at Elera one last time.
Then toward the door.
He didn’t know where Area 19 was.
He didn’t know who had ordered the shot.
He didn’t know how many people were involved.
He didn’t even know whether the man who had walked away earlier was watching him now.
But for the first time…
he didn’t need all the answers.
He had one objective.
Find Elera’s killers.
And then— destroy everything that had created them.
Not because Area 19 had ordered him to.
Not because someone had manipulated him into doing it.
Not because A-1 had been activated.
Because Arthur had chosen it.
That distinction mattered.
Area 19 had spent years trying to turn Arthur into a weapon.
They believed that taking Elera away would finally bring A-1 back.
They were wrong.
They hadn’t awakened A-1.
They had awakened something Area 19 had never been able to control.
Arthur’s own will.
And somewhere behind the cameras…
someone was watching him.
The screen displayed one final line.
PHASE TWO: FAILURE.
A pause.
Then—
PHASE THREE: BEGIN.
Area 19 spent years trying to create the perfect weapon.
A soldier without fear.
Without attachment.
Without weakness.
What they never understood was that emotions were never Arthur’s weakness.
They were the only thing keeping him human.
This chapter marks the end of one story…
And the beginning of another.
The boy who searched for answers is gone.
The man who now walks forward has only one objective.
But the truth about Elera, E-17, and Area 19 is far from complete.
Because some deaths change people.
And some deaths change the world around them.
The next chapter will reveal which kind this was.
See you in the next chapter.