Fate Line

Chapter 10: The Weight of Knowing

Morning broke.

The sharp cry of the alarm shattered the silence of the room. Ellian bolted upright in bed. There was no time to stretch or hesitate, today was the day. The day he would finally learn the code to the hatch leading into the underground lab.

Without wasting a second, he gathered everything he might need: the notebook filled with observation logs, his miniature binoculars, a few magnetic locks, scattered notes, and a small flashlight. Every motion was precise, practiced. He had played out this scenario in his mind a hundred times.

As he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, a voice stopped him.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Iris stood leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, her gaze slightly suspicious. "Everything's closed today. You said you were job hunting, remember?"

Ellian froze for a moment. He couldn't afford to raise suspicion.

"I just wanted to clear my head. Get some air, refresh myself," he said, trying to sound casual, though his fingers were gripping the strap of his bag a little too tightly.

Iris's eyes flicked down to the bag.

"Then why are you taking a flashlight?"

There was a pause. His chest tightened, but he quickly covered.

"I was thinking about hiking a bit out of the city. Away from all the noise."

"Then take me with you," she said suddenly.

Ellian shook his head without delay.

"Sorry. I need to be alone today. I've got things to think about. Just a day for myself, okay?"

She held his gaze for a few more seconds, then nodded.

"Alright. Be back by dinner."

He gave her a quick smile and slipped out the door.

Today everything would change.

He boarded the bus quickly, his head buzzing with tension, anticipation, and rehearsed plans. His heartbeat echoed the same word over and over, today. Everything he'd tracked, logged, prepared, this was the moment it had all led to.

When the bus finally reached the stop, Ellian stepped off and navigated the familiar route. He knew exactly where to turn, where to squeeze between the rusted gates, where the ground wouldn't creak or give him away.

He took his usual position, tucked between a concrete pillar and a half-burned metal container. From here, he had a full view of the building without being seen. He scanned the area. No one in sight. Perfect.

Now he had to wait.

In forty minutes, activity would begin. He kept his eyes on his watch. Time crawled, sticky and slow. Twenty minutes. Twenty-five. Thirty.

Then it happened.

The sound of machinery. Metallic clanking. Voices.

The workers had arrived.

They laughed, hauled tools, exchanged comments. Business as usual. Ellian barely breathed, tracking every move and comparing it to his notes. Within half an hour, as predicted, the team began to disperse. Two left for a smoke break. One vanished down a hallway. The others gathered at the back of the house.

This was his window.

Moving fast but silent, Ellian slipped along the edge of the building, rounding the far side. Every step was mapped in his memory. He knew where the floor wouldn't groan, where light wouldn't catch his shadow.

The house was empty. No one noticed him.

He crept into one of the unused rooms, a windowless space filled with plaster and broken furniture. Ideal for hiding.

He crouched in the corner, pressed close to the wall. His entire focus narrowed to one thing: hearing the code. The code that would unlock everything.

Ten minutes passed before he heard their voices again. The workers were back. The break was over.

They moved around the house, working, chatting, pretending this was just another day on the job. One was drilling in the front hall. Another unrolled blueprints. Everything was normal, too normal.

Then it happened.

"Hey, what's the code for the hatch? I left something down there," one worker called out lazily, tossing his gloves aside.

Ellian froze.

What?

His pulse slammed against his ribs. He leaned in, barely daring to breathe.

"Zero six zero five," the other answered casually.

0605.

Four simple digits. That was it. The key.

His hand trembled. He almost dropped the notebook. He couldn't believe how open it was. Not whispered. Not hidden. Just said aloud like it was nothing. He almost laughed. After all that time sneaking, mapping their routines, watching every minute, this was how he got it?

He stayed there for another half hour. Waiting for the next break. His heartbeat was a war drum in his ears. He wanted to bolt and test the code right then. But he knew better. Rushing now would be reckless.

Eventually, they took another break. The door slammed shut behind them. Silence.

Ellian slipped out quickly, retraced his steps to the hiding spot where his things were stashed, and without looking back, disappeared into the city.

His steps were quick, almost running. His chest burned with adrenaline.

He had it. The code.

Everything from here would be different.

He returned home near dusk. The sky was draped in gold and soft violet. A warm breeze played with his hair as he stepped onto the porch.

Inside, the house was alive with voices and laughter. Dishes clattered, chairs scraped, someone cracked a joke. It was like any other evening.

"Ellian's back!" Iris called from the kitchen. "Come wash your hands and sit down!"

He gave a small nod and went upstairs first, dropped his bag, changed, and washed up. Then he returned to the dining room and joined the others.

They laughed, passed plates, argued about nothing. But Ellian was silent.

He pushed food around his plate, lost in thought.

Why did everything go so smoothly? Why was it all so easy? The code, the location, the timing... Was this luck? Or a trap?

He didn't notice the quiet settling over the table until Kane's voice broke it.

"Ellian," Kane said, watching him closely, "where did you go today?"

Ellian stiffened.

"Out of town," he replied after a pause, trying to sound calm. "Needed some fresh air."

Kane's tone sharpened.

"Fresh air at the abandoned building too?"

Time stopped.

Ellian lifted his eyes. Kane was serious. No smile. No sarcasm. Just quiet certainty.

He knows.

How?

When?

Everyone at the table exchanged confused glances. But Ellian and Kane were locked in a private, silent battle.

Ellian slowly set his fork down and straightened.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, voice calm but tense.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Kane said. "Tell them. Or I will."

The room held its breath. Even Iris stood now, tense.

"Wait, maybe this is personal. Let's not fight," she said quickly.

Kane didn't answer. He just stood and walked out.

Ellian followed.

They stepped onto the back porch. The wind was cool, brushing the silence between them. A single porch light flickered above their heads.

Kane finally spoke.

"Tell me the truth. What are you looking for? Who are you trying to protect?"

Ellian stared at him. Breathed deep.

There was no hiding anymore.

So he told him. Everything.

The surveillance. The patterns. The observations. The code.

Kane frowned.

"Why? There's going to be a public reveal. Just wait like everyone else."

Ellian shook his head.

"And if that reveal is just a cover? If it leads to something dangerous?"

"You don't know that," Kane said, uncertain. "You're just guessing. What can you even do?"

Ellian looked at him.

"I have to try. You remember the dreams, don't you? The name 'Nael'? It's not random."

Kane looked away for a second.

"...It's your choice," he muttered finally. "But I'm done."

He walked back into the house without another word.

Later that evening, Kane told the others. Not out of betrayal. But because he saw them as family. He couldn't keep it to himself.

Ellian didn't ask. He didn't care.

He lay in his room, staring at the ceiling, thinking.

Tomorrow was the day off.

Tomorrow he would return to that place.

And finally, discover what was hidden beneath the hatch.