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Project Raven: The Construction War

Nathanielswrite
14
chs / week
The average realized release rate over the past 30 days is 14 chs / week.
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Synopsis
Elyra Hart, a highly skilled agent, exists in a world of constant surveillance, hidden truths, and lethal weaponry. She works for the infamous Three Kings, a powerful organization that combines clandestine military operations with vast corporate influence. Her life is a non-stop training exercise, but at night, unsettling thoughts plague her. When a mysterious program called Project Raven breaches her security, and someone who looks exactly like her breaks into the central database, Elyra begins to doubt her own reality. As those she trusts begin to waver – Adrian, the detached planner with hidden motives behind his appealing persona, and Rafe, the tormented guardian burdened by past violence – Elyra realizes she's surrounded by deceptive adversaries. The surveillance system is compromised, her memories are manipulated, and official records claim she's simply an expendable imitation, created to be a scapegoat. However, this imitation has developed independent thought. When Senator Devlin, who used to be her contact, orders her termination, Elyra rebels. She infiltrates a secret facility, releases confidential information to the public, and sets off a power struggle within the Kings' organization. But just as success seems within reach, the facility initiates a self-destruction sequence. Ten minutes left. One way out. A fractured team. And two versions of Elyra still living, each insisting on being the genuine one. Now, Elyra must escape the collapsing structure, unravel the fabrications woven into her very being, and confront the manipulator who brought her into existence as part of a setup. Because this battle isn't just about who she is, it's about who's in charge. And in a stronghold built on deceit, the only path to freedom is through destruction.
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Chapter 1 - Hunted

Dawn's sickly light leaked through my blackout curtains, tinting my room in bilious gold. My head pulsed with the aftershocks of the night before; Rafe's blood still uncomfortably warm beneath my gloves, the report of the gunshot still echoing in my ears, and most of all, her—the mirror-shrouded woman with my face leaping out of the darkness. I didn't move. Just breathed, ribs cracking beneath the pounding of my heart.

The holo terminal flickered to life before I could reach it.

"Lockdown cancelled. Threat neutralized. Review recording."

My fingers punched in the command. Displays erupted, replaying the courtyard: me, pistol grip, eyes wild. Rafe—my bodyguard—sprinting, firing. The bullet tore through his vest, blood splattering the concrete. Me, stumbling backward. No masked trespasser. No fleeing shadows. Just us. Trapped in a loop. I exhaled through my teeth.

"Bullshit.".

This was not a malfunction. This was a message. Somebody on my floor wanted me rattled. The door slid open with a hiss. Roman, my alleged guardian, looked in with that smirk that made my skin crawl. "Breakfast in five, Miss Hart." Too relaxed. Too calm.

I grunted, and the door closed behind him. My room was immaculate—no footprints, no concealed cams. But betrayal simmered under the shine.

At the table head, Adrian sat as impeccable as always, appearing immaculate and spotless, with two steaming cups of coffee delicately placed in front of him. Beside him, Nico leaned against his shoulder, pale and silent, as if weighted by the burden he carried. In the room's corner—there was Rafe. Alive and breathing, a sight which filled me with relief and incredulity. The ragged scar that marred his chest could be glimpsed peeking from his open sleeve, a harsh reminder: I had come close to losing him, and in doing so, I had come close to losing myself as well.

I took a seat in the chair across from Adrian, settling in. "Guess who got to pull the trigger last night?"

He took a slow sip. "No shooter on tape. No blind spots." A snap of his fingers. "An anomaly."

I leaned forward. "Have a plan."

His gaze didn't waver from hers. "Full system access today. No surprises."

I allowed the promise to remain suspended between us, open and uncertain. Trust was a currency I had no desire to trade or utilize.

By mid-morning, I was back in the courtyard—cinderblock walls, camo netting, the scent of diesel and damp concrete. The recruits moved like machines: assault positions, extractions, counter-surveillance.

I called a halt. "Who rigged the cameras?"

Silence. Then Sergeant Lowe stepped forward, "Found the detonator on the outside feed."

My blood ran cold. Lowe. I had not met him previously today. Now he was linked to sabotage.

I switched on my communication gear and said forcefully, "Fall back."

The rest ran. Lowe stayed, clenched jaw.

I closed the distance between us, my thumb pressing firmly against his chest just above where his dog tags rested. "Why in the world would you leave a charge on your own cameras?" I breathed, my voice dipping low and conspiratorial as though the walls themselves could be listening. "You have someone in here who wants you dead. You owe me names."

His eyes flicked back and forth. "I left the feed on. Returned to smoke alarms."

I released him. "See it doesn't happen again."

He vanished, breathing ragged.

The threat was from my own ranks.

Nico was in the library, his back hunched over a holo projector, lines of code playing across his face.

"I need you to focus on something specific," I told him.

He looked up briefly. "Do you refer to your quarters?"

"And the courtyard cameras. Full forensic sweep."

He switched off the projector and then set out to follow. The control room was permeated with a soft humming noise, as different screens glowed with blinking timestamps and complex lens settings.

Nico pierced a screen. "Log is six seconds off."

"Glitch?"

"Manual override."

My heart racing wildly. "Please locate the user."

A couple of taps on the keyboard, and he handed me a data pad. Admin accounts—mine, the Kings'—and one I'd never laid eyes on:

ProjectRaven.

Last login: 15 minutes ago. Under Rafe's domain.

"Raven?" I whispered.

Nico shook his head negatively. "There's no mention in the roster at all."

I crammed the pad into my pocket. "Keep this on the down low."

He gave a slow nod. "Understood."

Night came too quickly. The top deck was a concrete slab in a sky full of neon. I poured bourbon down my throat, the sting accomplishing nothing to mute the fear.

Footsteps. Rafe stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, scar visible in the faint light.

"You can't keep drifting," he said to him. "Someone'll notice."

I smiled. "They see everything." I set the flask down on the counter. "Why ice me in the courtyard? There was no shooter."

His shoulders stiffened. "I didn't fake it. But I'm responsible."

I returned his gaze. "What is ProjectRaven?"

He stiffened. "Don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me." My voice was a blade.

He turned his back on the scene. "The game is much larger than both of us. It's not a good idea to overplay."

I stepped in closer. "I'm not playing. I'm surviving. And I'll bury anyone in my path."

His jaw clenched. Then—a brief nod. He left.

The top door creaked open again. Adrian stepped out, hair surprisingly tousled, eyes shining.

"Rafe said you would be here," he softly spoke in a gentle voice.

I did not glance at him. "Don't."

"Not a lecture." He moved closer. "An offer."

"Trust?" I scoffed bitterly. "You've undermined me from day one."

His eyes burned. "I know. But I require you in this—not as a pawn. As a partner."

My ribcage tightened. "Words."

His voice lowered. "Actions follow. Full disclosure tomorrow. No more secrets."

"Why?"

A beat. Then, raw: "Because you're the only one I trust."

My heart missed a beat. "Trust?"

He slid his hand into mine, thumb brushing against my palm. "Partners?"

I threw the flask up in the air in a pretend toast. "Partners," I grinned.

His greeting was forced. Then—my comm crackled.

"Breach. East wing. Server vault."

Adrenaline was racing through my body. "Stay where you are," I instructed, already moving. "I'll handle it."

The ominous low thunderous rumble tolled in the distance as I ran towards the stairs, Adrian's rapid footsteps hot on my heels.

Lights flickered. Doors sealed. The server's hum became a scream.

One idea nagged persistently in my mind:

They are approaching with the intention of reaching the hive. And, in the meantime, I realized that I was completely running out of time.