The dissidents, after their confrontation at the Synapse laboratory, find themselves hunted at every moment. The basis they called their refuge is just a memory, burnt down by the Synapse forces. Their only choice is to descend more deeply into the bowels of Neo-Lux, a labyrinthine network of tunnels, sewers and ruins.

  The shadows are more oppressive, and the group advances in a tense silence. Malik, frustrated, breaks the silence.

  - That was your plan, Eliot? Send us straight in the mouth of the wolf?

  Eliot, visibly exhausted but determined, calmly replies.

  - We are alive, and we have the data. It’s a good start.

  But the tension is palpable, and everyone knows that survival will not be enough.

  ---

  Development: Meeting with live shadows

  The group is progressing in tunnels infested with trash and remains of a forgotten civilization. Strange noises resonate, and paranoia settles.

  - We are not alone, whispers Lya.

  Silhouettes emerge from darkness: cyber-Augmented, Armed and Missing individuals. They present themselves as the "lively shadows", a group of survivors who have found refuge in these depths. Their chief, Cain, an imposing man with cybernetic arms, asks them for their intentions.

  - You flee Synapse, just like us. But why should we help you?

  Eliot, diplomat, tries to negotiate.

  - We have information that could reverse Synapse. But we need your help to hit hard.

  Cain hesitates, but offers a market: dissidents must prove their value by eliminating a local threat, the "mechanical snakes", a rival gang which has invaded their territory.

  Planning: The group develops an infiltration plan, while disagreements arise. Malik wants a direct approach, while Rhea insists on discretion.

  Execution: The team is introduced into a former warehouse controlled by snakes. The fights are intense, mixing shots, explosions and hacking of security systems.

  Shocking discovery: At the heart of the lair, they discover that snakes are manipulated by Synapse, their minds partially controlled by experimental technology.After an exhausting battle, the Dissidents emerge victorious. They return to the Living Shadows, bringing proof of their success. However, the discovery of Synapse's manipulations sows doubt among them: how many other gangs or communities are already under their control?

  Cain, impressed, agrees to help them. It reveals crucial information about Synapse's movements in the underworld, including the existence of a secret passageway leading directly to their headquarters.

  Back at camp, the group is divided.

  Lya insists on the urgency of acting quickly, despite the risks.

  Malik is convinced that the Living Shadows are not to be trusted.

  Rhea, still scarred by her injuries, remains silent, lost in thought.

  Eliot, as a reluctant leader, decides:

  — We will strike Synapse at their core, but not without planning every detail. If we fail, everything we sacrificed will have been for nothing.

  As they prepare for their next mission, an unexpected transmission interrupts them: an encrypted message from Orion, warning of an impending trap.

  A screen displays a video sequence captured by Synapse:

  "The Dissidents are identified. Neutralization in 24 hours."

  The group looks at each other, a mixture of fear and determination in their eyes. Their time is running out.

  The Dissidents knew that the next mission would be a turning point, but they did not anticipate that each step would lead them deeper into the abyss of their own vulnerability.

  Lya crouched in front of a cracked screen in their temporary shelter. Orion's message appeared in cryptic fragments, like a puzzle torn apart by panic.

  — "Eliot, look at this. Orion sent an alert, but it's incomplete."

  Eliot approached, his features drawn. He observed the flashing data with feverish intensity.

  — "Synapse knows we're coming. They've increased security in the control room, but crucial details are missing."

  Malik exploded.

  — "Don't you see that this is a trap? Orion may have been working for them all along. Are you willing to put our lives on the line based on a jammed signal?"

  Eliot, his fists clenched, replied calmly.- "Orion has already risked his life to send us this information. We cannot ignore that. But if you have a better plan, I listen to you."

  A heavy silence settled, interrupted by Rhea.

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  - "We cannot go back. Nexus is our only hope to weaken Synapse."

  The team meets with Cain, the leader in live shadows. The great man, an imposing presence, examined Eliot with a suspicious look.

  -"You ask me to risk my men for a suicidal mission. What do I win?"

  Eliot inspired deeply.

  -"If we succeed, Synapse will lose its grip on Neo-Lux. You will have a chance to rebuild here, without their constant shadow."

  Cain laughs slowly, a laughing with humor.

  - "What if you fail? All I will have won are additional corpses."

  After a moment of tense negotiation, Cain accepted, but posed a condition: the dissidents will have to prove their loyalty by eliminating a secondary Synapse outpost located in the shallows.

  The mission took place under the cover of the darkness.

  Infiltration: The team was discreetly introduced into the complex, using drones modified by LYA to deactivate alarms.

  Intense fight: A skirmish broke out when cybernetic soldiers detected their presence. Malik showed his raw efficiency by facing an opponent twice his size.

  Troubling discovery: in the main laboratory, they discovered bodies suspended in stasis capsules. Citizens captured, used for experiences aimed at improving Nexus.

  Lya, horrified, murmured:

  - "They test total control of the mind. They want perfect slaves."

  Back at the base of the bright shadows, the team was welcomed by a chaotic scene. Cain had mobilized his troops for a massive departure.

  - "What are you doing ?" Eliot asked, the frowning eyebrows.

  Cain smiles coldly.

  - "I'm going to help you. But for that, I sold certain information to Synapse. Not enough to put you in danger, just enough to protect mine."

  Malik, furious, pointed his weapon on Cain.

  - "You betrayed us!"

  Eliot intervened quickly.

  -"Calm down, Malik. We still need them. Synapse already knows that we are coming."But the team was divided. Confidence in their allies was crumbling, and the tension threatened to shatter everything.

  Despite the betrayals and tensions, the operation was launched.

  Diversion of the Living Shadows: Cain and his men set off a series of explosions in the Synapse districts, distracting the attention of the main forces.

  Dangerous Infiltration: The Dissidents used a forgotten tunnel leading to the control room. Security systems detected their presence, forcing Eliot to connect to the interface to thwart the digital traps.

  In the control room, Eliot discovered a central terminal linked to Nexus. Connecting to it, he plunged into a sea of ??repressed memories:

  He saw himself as a child, subjected to painful experiences.

  Orion's voice echoed in his head:

  — "You're part of the program, Eliot. You've always been a piece of the puzzle."

  As Eliot struggled to deactivate Nexus, reinforcements from Synapse invaded the room. Lya, desperate, screamed:

  — “We can’t leave him here!”

  But Eliot replied firmly:

  — “Go away. I will finish what I started.”

  The silence weighed heavily in the improvised hiding place where the Dissidents had found refuge. The darkness, pierced only by the blue light of a holographic screen, seemed to swallow up any attempt at conversation. Lya stared at the data displayed in front of her, her hands trembling slightly.

  — “Eliot is dead.” Malik finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse and filled with anger. “And all because we followed your plan.”

  Lya looked up, but her lips remained sealed. She knew that no amount of justification would be enough to appease Malik.

  "We don't know if he's dead," Rhea said, her voice soft but firm. "He made his choice to give us a chance to escape. We must honor that by continuing."

  Malik hit a metal wall hard, letting out a loud thud.

  — "Continue? With what? With whom? We are broken, and Synapse wins at every step."

  A beep interrupted their exchange. Lya's screen showed a new encrypted transmission. Orion's words were partially displayed:

  "Abandoned base... coordinates transmitted... weak point... Nexus."Lya murmured, her eyebrows furrowed:

  — “It’s an avenue, but it’s risky.”

  Meanwhile, Eliot was alive and well, but in dire straits. Strapped to a metal chair in a cold, sterile room, he stared at a screen suspended in front of him. A feminine, mechanical voice echoed around him:

  — "Welcome back, Eliot. Did you think you could escape your past?"

  Images appeared on the screen: fragmented memories of his childhood. He saw a laboratory, needles, scientists with blurred faces. A dull pain rose within him as he recognized one of the faces.

  — “You…” he whispered. “It was you.”

  The voice continued:

  — “You are special, Eliot. You are the ideal interface for Nexus. With you, we will achieve perfection.”

  Eliot grit his teeth, desperately searching for a weakness in his bonds. But every attempt was thwarted by pain sent straight to his nervous system.

  In their shelter, the Dissidents debated fiercely.

  — “We need to go to these coordinates,” Lya insisted. “This may be our only chance to figure out how to stop Nexus.”

  Malik shook his head.

  — “It’s a suicide mission. We don’t even know what awaits us there.”

  — “What if this is where they’re keeping Eliot?” Rhea added. “We can’t abandon him.”

  After a long discussion, they decided to vote. Malik reluctantly remained in the group, but his distrust of Lya grew.

  The abandoned base was in a former industrial area, covered in debris and rusty cables. Upon entering, they encountered a series of traps left by Synapse:

  Drones patrolling the corridors.

  Automated defense systems.

  Malik and Lya were separated from the main group after triggering a trap. Stuck in a narrow corridor, they had to cooperate to deactivate a force field and avoid an imminent explosion.

  — “Do you really think Eliot is still out there?” Malik asked, out of breath.

  — “I don’t know,” Lya admitted. “But if we don’t do anything, there will be no hope for anyone.”

  Malik groaned, but continued to help her.In the center of the base, the dissidents found a room containing a main server. Lya connected quickly, hacking data despite obsolete but still active security systems.

  The archives revealed shocking information:

  Eliot was a key subject of the Nexus program, intended to serve as a human channel for total mental control.

  Orion was an AI created from the spirit of an ancient Eliot mentor, designed to guide the dissidents but having its own objectives.

  Rhea, tears in the eyes, murmured:

  -"They used Eliot from the start ... How could he have endured all of this?"

  The dissidents managed to transmit an encrypted message to Eliot via the server, hoping that he can receive it.

  Eliot, still attached in his cell, heard a familiar voice resonating in his head:

  - "Eliot, it's us. Here we are looking for you."

  He looked up, a glimmer of hope in his gaze. But before he could answer, a door opened before him. A silhouette entered, her freezed voice but tinged with humanity:

  - "Hello, Eliot. It's me, Orion. We have a lot to chat."

  The chapter ends with this revelation, revealing an improbable alliance or a new betrayal to come.