The flashing neon lights of Neo-Lux bathed the city in a cold, almost spectral glow. The acid rain pounded the roofs and cobblestones, erasing the traces of those who still dared to walk outside. In their improvised base, an old abandoned factory nestled in the heart of the slums, the Dissidents tried to make sense of recent events.

Eliot sat silently, his fingers drumming nervously against the metal table. The previous mission, although accomplished, had left a bitter taste.

“We could have all been there,” Malik grunted, breaking the silence.

Lya, injured in the shoulder, raised her head, her gaze piercing.

— And yet, we are here. That's what matters.

Rhea, already leaning over her holographic terminal, rolled her eyes.

“If you could stop bickering, maybe I could concentrate. These files will not decrypt themselves.

Malik continued anyway, his anger finding an easy target.

—Eliot should have foreseen that. We were tricked like amateurs!

“Enough,” Eliot said, his voice icy. Do you want an apology? You won't get any.

The silence fell heavily, punctuated by the sound of drops of water falling on the ground.

Rhea's fingers danced on the keyboard, breaking the silence of the group. Lines of code scrolled across her screen, until she abruptly stopped.

- Oh no... she whispered.

- What ? Lya asked, approaching despite her injury.

The screen displayed a complex diagram, a three-dimensional structure that appeared to represent a neural network. Rhea expands a section, revealing a series of technical notes.

“It’s worse than we thought,” she explained. Synapse does not only seek to control information. They want to implant ideas in minds, reshape memories… and personalities.

The silence was broken by Malik, who burst out laughing, bitterly.

—They're totally playing at being gods now.

Eliot stood up, staring at the screen.

“Nexus… that’s their project, isn’t it?

Rhea nodded.

— And they are already testing their technology in the poorest neighborhoods.

Lya clenched her fists.

— We can't let them do it.As they debated, another series of files drew Rhea's attention. She opened them, revealing a unique name in red letters: Orion.

- Who is, Orion? Lya asked.

Eliot seemed to hesitate before answering.

- A former agent of Synapse. Years ago, he sabotaged one of their major projects before disappearing. Some say he has been eliminated, others that he still works in the shadows.

Rhea frowned, scrutinizing the file.

-Why is his name here?

"Maybe he knows something," replied Eliot. Something that could help us destroy Nexus.

Rhea ends up extracting a series of coordinates from another file. They were pointing to a secondary synapse data center.

- If Orion is still alive, we must find it, said Eliot.

Malik haus her shoulders.

- What if it is a trap?

- So we will fight, replied Lya, determined.

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The following night, the dissidents fegged in the complex indicated by the contact details. The atmosphere was tense, each noise amplified by the echo of the corridors.

Rhea deactivated the security cameras while Malik and Lya discreetly neutralized the guards. Eliot opened walking, watching the surroundings carefully.

"We don't have much time," rhea whispered.

They reached the server room, where Rhea immediately set to work.

-Keep me out of reach, she warned.

But despite their efforts, a drone detected their presence, triggering alarms.

- shit, whispered Malik.

Armed drones and guards converged on their position. The group defended itself fiercely, using weapons, gadgets and their knowledge of the field to stand up to their opponents.

Rhea, under pressure, finally managed to finish the download.

- It's good, we get out!

Their flight was chaotic but successful, despite some additional injuries.Back at base, Rhea analyzed the recovered data. Among them, a cryptic message caught his attention. She quickly deciphered it, revealing an invitation:

“If you want to know the truth, find me at these coordinates. – Orion”

The group remained silent, absorbed by the weight of this revelation.

“Here we go,” Eliot decided.

—What if it’s a trap? Malik asked.

Eliot stared at him, determined.

—Then we'll know soon.Chapter 4: Echoes of the Past

The shadows of the ruins of Neo-Lux danced under the dying light of the surveillance drones, scanning the dilapidated facades of the abandoned buildings. The group moved cautiously, following the coordinates that Orion had given them.

They reached an abandoned industrial complex, hidden behind a web of metal conduits and collapsed structures. The main door opened with a mechanical creak. Inside, a hooded figure awaited them.

“You were quick,” Orion said in a metallic voice, amplified by his mask.

Malik tightened his grip on his weapon, wary.

—If it's a trap, you won't get out of here alive.

Orion raised his hands, a gesture of calm.

—I am not your enemy. But if you hope to destroy Synapse, you'll need more than your courage.

He led them through the complex, lit by flickering neon lights. Orion revealed a console displaying data on Project Nexus.

— You think you understand what Synapse does, but you're still far from the truth. They don't just control minds. They redefine reality.

Orion explained the origin of Nexus, a project to connect human consciousnesses into a unified network. Synapse had transformed this idea into a weapon, capable of erasing, rewriting and implanting memories.

“And the poor neighborhoods of Neo-Lux are their laboratory,” Orion concluded.

Lya, indignant, clenched her fists.

—They treat people like guinea pigs...

Orion nodded.

- Exactly. And if you want to stop this, you'll have to infiltrate their central laboratory.

Orion revealed the location of a secret, hidden Synapse laboratorysecret Synapse laboratory, hidden under a skyscraper in the center of the city. He gave them stolen plans, detailing sophisticated security systems.

Rhea reviewed the data, her gaze focused.

—It won't be easy. Their security system is biometric, and they have drones everywhere.

Malik growled.

— Perfect, one more suicide mission.

Eliot interjected, his voice sharp.

—We have no choice. Synapse must fall, at all costs.

The following night, the Dissidents entered the heavily guarded neighborhood where the laboratory was located. They used gadgets provided by Orion to neutralize the drones and jam the cameras.

“We have five minutes before they realize what’s happening,” Rhea whispered.

They entered the building through an emergency exit. Inside, the atmosphere was chilly, the corridors lit by clinical lights.

In an experimental room, they found capsules containing individuals plunged into artificial sleep. Screens displayed their brain waves, modified in real time.

Lya stepped back, horrified.

— They steal their minds...

Eliot approached a capsule, where a young boy was connected to a complex device.

“It’s not just control,” he whispered. They rewrite who they are.

Rhea found a terminal and began extracting data.

—I have everything we need. But we have to leave now.

As they attempted to leave the building, an alarm went off. Orion suddenly appeared, watching them from a screen.

“I'm sorry,” he said, “but Synapse had to find out about your presence here.

Malik exploded with anger.

— You traitor!

Orion tried to justify himself.

—They must have thought I was alone. This gives you a chance to act without them tracking you down.

The guards converged on them, and a fierce battle broke out. Malik, Eliot and Lya fought fiercely, while Rhea managed to hack an emergency exit.

The group narrowly escaped, but Rhea was seriously injured. Back at base, the Dissidents were divided.

— Orion can no longer be trusted,GROGNA Malik.

Eliot, however, looked at the stolen data, determined.

-Maybe not, but this information can help us destroy Synapse.

A video discovered among the data shows a terrifying message from a Synapse leader:

"The Nexus project will be operational in 72 hours. The world will change, whether you like it."

Eliot closes her eyes, a mixture of anger and determination in his gaze.

- We no longer have a choice. You have to hit hard.