The morning air inside the warehouse was thick with tension, a dense fog of uncertainty settling over True Genesis. The night before had drawn lines in the sand, and now, those who once stood as a united front found themselves divided. Kunle sat at the edge of his cot, staring at the concrete floor, tracing the cracks with his eyes as though searching for answers. Aisha, across the room, was already awake, her hands curled into fists as she replayed last night’s argument over and over in her mind.

“You hear that?” she asked softly.

Kunle lifted his head, listening. The usual murmur of morning activity—the clang of metal, the low voices of strategists planning their next move—was replaced by something else. A quiet unease, the kind that settled just before a storm. Conversations were hushed, eyes flickered between allies and enemies alike. There was no mistaking it: something had shifted overnight.

“They’re choosing sides,” Kunle muttered, pushing himself to his feet. “Adunni and Zubair have split the movement, and now everyone has to pick where they stand.”

Aisha exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. “It’s more than that. Some people believe Zubair is right. That we need to strike first, before the coalition wipes us off the map. Can you blame them?”

Kunle turned to her, his expression unreadable. “So what? You think Zubair’s plan is the answer?”

Aisha didn’t respond immediately. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, questioning everything she thought she knew about the movement. When she had first joined True Genesis, it had been about truth—exposing the coalition’s atrocities, giving people the information they needed to resist. But last night, for the first time, she had seen something else. The undeniable fact that knowledge alone wasn’t enough. The coalition had power, resources, and a network so deep it could erase entire villages without a trace. Could they really afford to fight clean?

“I think,” she said finally, “that we might not have a choice.”

Kunle shook his head, stepping away. “That’s exactly what the coalition says to justify everything they do.”

The conversation was cut short by a loud voice from outside the sleeping quarters. “Adunni wants a meeting. Now.”

The meeting room was packed, the air thick with competing emotions—anger, frustration, fear. At the head of the room, Adunni stood tall, her jaw tight, her hands resting firmly on the table before her. Across from her, Zubair leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The divide was evident, even in their body language.

“We can’t afford internal strife,” Adunni began, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension. “We have spent years building True Genesis, gathering people, resources, intelligence. What we do next will determine whether we survive or become another footnote in the coalition’s history of erasing resistance.”

Zubair let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. “Survive? You mean sit and wait for them to find us? Let them hunt us down one by one? That’s your plan?”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through one side of the room. Kunle watched as some of the younger members nodded along, their faces set with grim determination. They were tired of hiding, tired of being hunted. He couldn’t blame them.

Adunni exhaled sharply. “What you’re suggesting is dangerous. You want to use engrams against them, manipulate their minds the way they manipulate others. That is not what we stand for.”

Zubair leaned forward, his eyes locked onto hers. “And what do we stand for, Adunni? Enlightenment? Hope? You think truth alone will set people free? That if we just show the world what the coalition is doing, they’ll rise up and fight back?” He scoffed. “The world doesn’t care. They never have. We need to force them to care.”

Silence followed his words. The weight of them hung in the air like smoke, suffocating and inescapable. Aisha shifted uncomfortably, stealing a glance at Kunle. He looked just as unsettled as she felt.

Adunni’s fingers curled against the table. “And at what cost? How many people will you turn into weapons before you realize you’ve become the very thing we’re fighting?”

Zubair didn’t blink. “If it means ending the coalition, I’ll pay that price.”

After the meeting, the warehouse was abuzz with hushed conversations. People gathered in small groups, whispering, debating, their alliances forming in real time. The rift was widening, and soon, it would be irreparable.

Aisha and Kunle sat on a stack of crates near the entrance, watching as the movement they had barely begun to understand started fracturing before their eyes.

“What do we do?” Aisha asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kunle was quiet for a long moment. “We figure out who we can trust.”

Aisha frowned. “And what if we can’t trust anyone?”

Kunle met her gaze, something dark and unreadable behind his eyes. “Then we survive.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a presence behind them. Adunni stood there, her expression unreadable. “Come with me,” she said. “We need to talk.”

Aisha and Kunle exchanged a glance before following her down a side corridor, away from the prying eyes and ears of the others. She led them to a small, secluded room, closing the door behind them before turning to face them.

“I need to know where you stand,” Adunni said bluntly. “Zubair is moving faster than I expected. He already has supporters willing to act. If he wins over more people, I lose control of True Genesis. And if that happens…” she trailed off, shaking her head. “It will no longer be the movement I built.”

Kunle crossed his arms. “And what do you expect us to do?”

Adunni’s gaze was sharp. “Help me stop him.”

Aisha hesitated. “You want us to convince people to side with you?”

“No,” Adunni said. “I want you to find out what Zubair is planning. He’s not waiting for a vote. He’s already taking action.”

Kunle narrowed his eyes. “And what happens when we find out?”

Adunni’s jaw tightened. “Then we do what we must to ensure True Genesis stays on the right path.”

Aisha’s stomach twisted. There it was—that same phrase. We do what we must. It was what the coalition said, what Zubair had said, and now, even Adunni. She looked at Kunle, who seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Were they really any different?

Kunle exhaled, nodding slowly. “We’ll see what we can find.”

Adunni nodded in return, then slipped out of the room, leaving them in silence.

Aisha turned to Kunle. “We need to be careful.”

Kunle’s lips pressed into a thin line. “No. We need to be smart.”

As they stepped out of the room, the tension in the air was unmistakable. A storm was brewing, and no matter what they did, they would be caught in the middle of it.

The atmosphere inside the warehouse had changed. Where there had once been an undercurrent of silent tension, now the divide was fully visible. Small groups had formed in corners, hushed conversations passing like a quiet storm between those who believed in Zubair’s radical methods and those who remained loyal to Adunni’s vision. It wasn’t a rebellion—yet. But the seeds had been planted, and it was only a matter of time before they grew into something uncontrollable.

Aisha felt it most when she left the strategy room. The way eyes lingered on her, the way whispers followed her footsteps. She wasn’t sure which side they thought she was on.

The truth was, she wasn’t sure either.

She had spent so much time believing in True Genesis as a movement dedicated to exposing the coalition, to reclaiming the truth. But now, as she stood in the middle of a growing ideological war, she wasn’t sure what that truth was anymore.

“Psst.”

Aisha turned sharply. A figure lingered in the dimly lit corridor near the exit, barely visible against the shadows.

“Aisha,” the voice whispered urgently. “We need to talk.”

She hesitated. This was a risk. But her instincts told her to listen.

She stepped closer, recognizing the face in the faint light. Kamalu. One of the younger members of True Genesis, a former student activist who had barely escaped the coalition’s crackdowns during the last major protests. He was sharp, passionate, and exactly the kind of person Zubair had been drawing in.

“If Adunni knew you were talking to me in secret, she’d be worried,” Aisha said carefully, keeping her voice low.

Kamalu huffed. “I could say the same about you.” He looked around, checking that no one was listening before stepping closer. “I need you to come with me. There’s something you need to see.”

Aisha narrowed her eyes. “See what?”

Kamalu hesitated. “Proof that Zubair is right.”

Aisha followed Kamalu out of the warehouse, slipping past the watchful eyes of those still debating inside. He led her through a winding path of alleyways until they reached a discreet entrance to what looked like an old mechanic’s shop. He knocked twice, then paused, then knocked once more.

A lock clicked open, and the door swung inward.

Inside, Aisha stepped into a dimly lit room where a handful of Zubair’s most loyal followers were gathered. Maps and schematics were spread across the floor, but what caught her eye was the setup at the back of the room—a crude workstation filled with screens, cables, and, most alarmingly, engram processors.

She felt her stomach twist. They had already begun.

“You’re testing them,” she murmured, stepping forward. “You’re already modifying the engrams.”

Zubair, standing near the workstation, turned at the sound of her voice. Unlike the heated debate in the warehouse, his expression now was cool, measured. “We don’t have time to debate,” he said simply. “The coalition isn’t waiting, and neither are we.”

Aisha shook her head. “You didn’t even give True Genesis a chance to decide. You’re doing this behind their backs.”

Zubair didn’t flinch. “And what would they have done? Talked about it? Held another vote? The coalition doesn’t hold votes before they erase entire villages, Aisha. We need to act.”

She turned to Kamalu. “And you? You’re okay with this?”

Kamalu hesitated, but then his jaw tightened. “I lost my brother to the coalition’s raids. They don’t fight fair. Why should we?”

Aisha exhaled, feeling the weight of it all crushing down on her. She had seen what the coalition was capable of. But this? This was something else.

She stepped closer to one of the screens, watching as strings of code scrolled down rapidly. It was engram data, being rewritten in real time.

“What are you even trying to do?” she asked quietly.

Zubair’s eyes flickered with something sharp, dangerous. “We can implant failsafes into their own agents. Make them hesitate when given orders. Make them forget their objectives at crucial moments.”

Aisha stared at him. “You want to turn people into weapons.”

Zubair’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I want to end this war before it consumes more lives.”

Aisha knew she couldn’t stay here. Couldn’t be seen here. If Adunni found out, she would never trust her again.

She turned to Kamalu. “You brought me here because you think I’ll understand. But I don’t know if I do.”

Kamalu’s eyes searched hers. “You do,” he said. “That’s why you haven’t walked away yet.”

Aisha clenched her fists. He was right.

But was that a good thing?

“I need time to think,” she muttered.

Zubair nodded as if he had expected that. “Time is running out. When the moment comes, you’ll have to choose.”

Aisha turned and walked out of the room, her pulse pounding in her ears.

She wasn’t sure whose side she was on anymore.

Aisha barely slept that night. The revelation of Zubair’s secret engram modifications gnawed at her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the scrolling lines of code, the determined glint in his eyes, Kamalu’s unwavering belief that they were doing the right thing. And yet, a part of her couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the moment everything was about to spiral out of control.

She wasn’t wrong.

Just before dawn, the tension in the warehouse snapped like an overstretched wire. A rush of movement, hurried whispers, and then—shouting. Aisha bolted upright just as Kunle yanked open the door to their sleeping area.

“You need to see this,” he said, his voice tight.

Aisha barely had time to throw on her boots before following him out into the main hall. The warehouse, normally a place of carefully contained urgency, was now a storm of raised voices and chaotic movement. People ran in different directions, some arguing, others gearing up like they were preparing for war.

At the center of it all, Adunni stood facing Zubair, her hands clenched into fists.

“What have you done?” her voice was sharp enough to cut through the noise.

Zubair didn’t flinch. “What needed to be done.”

Adunni took a step closer, and for the first time since Aisha had known her, there was true fury in her eyes. “Tell me exactly what that means.”

Zubair exhaled, a smirk creeping onto his lips. “We intercepted a coalition transport last night. A shipment of engrams. We took them.”

A stunned silence spread through the room, rippling outward like a shockwave. Even those who had been arguing moments ago were frozen, eyes darting between Adunni and Zubair.

Aisha felt her stomach drop. He actually did it.

Adunni’s voice was dangerously low. “You attacked a coalition convoy.”

Zubair shrugged. “No. We liberated their tools before they could use them to enslave more people.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Adunni’s voice wavered between disbelief and fury. “This isn’t just about tactics anymore. This is war. You just declared war.”

Zubair’s smirk didn’t waver. “It was always war, Adunni. You were just too afraid to admit it.”

Aisha’s head spun. It had all happened too fast. One day, True Genesis was teetering on the edge of division; the next, it had fallen off the cliff. She looked around and saw it in everyone’s faces—the understanding that they had just passed the point of no return.

Kunle was the first to speak up. “How many people were involved in this?”

Zubair turned to him, his expression amused. “Enough.”

Kunle’s jaw clenched. “Do you have any idea what the coalition will do now? We’re barely holding onto this movement as it is. You think they’re just going to let this slide?”

“They’re already hunting us,” Zubair shot back. “Now, at least, we’ve taken something from them.”

Adunni stepped forward, and for a brief moment, Aisha thought she might actually strike him. “We needed time to prepare. We needed strategy. You just forced our hand. And for what? So you could play revolutionary?”

Zubair’s smirk finally faded. “You don’t get it, do you? This is the strategy. You’ve been waiting for the right moment to strike. Well, I just created it. The coalition will come, and when they do, we’ll be ready.”

Adunni shook her head. “You don’t understand the difference between resistance and destruction.”

“Maybe not,” Zubair admitted. “But I understand survival. And right now, we either fight back, or we let them crush us like they’ve crushed everyone else who dared to resist.”

Aisha’s pulse pounded in her ears as she watched the weight of Zubair’s words settle over the crowd. He wasn’t just arguing anymore—he was making an offer. A challenge. A dividing line drawn in blood and stolen engrams.

Zubair turned, addressing everyone now. “We have the engrams. We have the power to turn the coalition’s weapons against them. But I’m done waiting for permission to fight. Anyone who wants to join me, who’s ready to take action, you know where to find me.”

He started to walk away, his loyal followers falling in line behind him. But just before he reached the exit, he turned back one last time, locking eyes with Adunni.

“Join us,” he said. “Or be left behind in history.”

The silence that followed was deafening.