A Second Chance at Forever

Chapter 1405

Slim fingers danced across the keyboard, tapping out a rhythm as rapid as the heartbeat of a hummingbird. The screen before Cedric flickered with lines of code, each barrier crumbling under his deft touch. But when he reached the core of the program, his pulse stalled. The chip’s software split like a cell, doubling its defenses. His gaze shot up to Bernard, who sat with the serenity of a monk in deep meditation.

“Bernard, I’ve heard whispers about this tech on the dark web,” Cedric said, his voice tinged with disbelief. “They say it’s meant to monitor and control, like something out of a dystopian sci-fi. How did you come across it?”

Bernard’s eyes, cool and detached, shifted to meet Cedric’s troubled stare.

“It’s in my head,” he replied, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.

A chill raced through Cedric, a serpentine cold wrapping around his ankles and slithering up his spine. “B-Bernard, that’s like a doomsday device. How on earth did it end up inside your head?”

While Cedric’s face was a canvas of shock, Bernard remained as composed as ever, his acceptance of the situation bordering on the unnerving.

his voice devoid of self-pity, always brushing off

fingers lifting from the keyboard, drawn irresistibly to Bernard’s head. Though invisible to the eye, Cedric knew too well the agony

hair, his touch a silent lament for the suffering endured. “Does it hurt, Bernard?”

physical affection, save for Eleanor’s gentle touch, but in this moment, he allowed Cedric’s concern to break through his armor.

in this thing. Only then can we take Siren back to Area Opaca and come out on

a few words, Cedric grasped the gravity of what Bernard had faced in Area Opaca. Without another word, he dove back into the code,

Yates, aware of Bernard’s efforts, sent a countdown signal as a warning. But Bernard, knowing all too well that

a formidable foe, Cedric suggested they move to the group’s computer center for more firepower. Bernard made him swear to secrecy about the chip before they headed to the technological hub. Cedric fired up the systems and

functions, but as soon as he did, new code cascaded across the screen. They were not alone in this