The map ended where civilization refused to follow.
A rusted board leaned against a broken fence.
RESTRICTED ZONE
DANGEROUS WILDLIFE
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
Beyond it—
a jungle too quiet to be natural.
Karry stopped.
"Are we really going inside government territory?"
Sasha stepped past the sign without hesitation.
"When the planet's in danger," she said,
"borders don't matter."
Karry exhaled.
"…Right. Stupid question."
She glanced back.
"You ask too many of those."
Before Karry could respond—
"Yo."
Both of them spun.
Hands raised.
Weapons half-drawn.
A man stood behind them casually, hands in his pockets, black t-shirt unmarked, expression relaxed.
"Easy," he said.
"You must be the new ones."
His eyes settled on Karry.
"Karry. Right?"
Karry froze.
"…Yes."
Sasha narrowed her eyes.
"Don't sneak up on us, Kernel."
The man smiled slightly.
"Sorry about that."
Karry studied him.
Fourth Sinner, he realized.
He doesn't look like what I expected.
Kernel gestured toward the trees.
"Arnold filled me in. Whatever we're looking for—it's not simple."
They crossed the boundary.
The jungle swallowed sound immediately.
[Inside the Green]
Static crackled through their comms.
"They've entered the zone,"
a distant voice said.
"Await command."
None of them reacted.
Kernel slowed.
"This way," he said.
"I think this is what you're after."
Stone emerged from the vegetation.
Not ruins—
marks.
They moved faster now.
Too fast.
Sasha caught herself overturning debris.
"Careful," Kernel said calmly.
"Arnold won't like it if you break things."
Karry paused.
"This place doesn't feel abandoned," he said.
"It feels… used."
They found it by accident.
A concealed passage.
A stairway descending into darkness.
Below—
a hidden archive.
Shelves upon shelves of sealed books and files, untouched by time.
Sasha whispered,
"Why hide this?"
Karry pulled a volume free.
"It talks about…"
He hesitated.
"…a king."
Sasha stepped closer.
"Let me see—"
Lights snapped on.
Weapons clicked.
Armed figures surrounded them.
"Surrender," a voice ordered.
"Now."
Karry's heart pounded.
"What do we do?" he whispered.
"Kernel?"
Kernel stepped forward.
Not toward them.
Toward the soldiers.
"Stand down," he said calmly.
They obeyed.
"Captain," one of them acknowledged.
Sasha's breath caught.
"…You were watching us."
Kernel turned.
"No," he said.
"I was protecting you."
She shook her head.
"You lied."
Kernel's gaze hardened—not cruel, not kind.
"Everyone in Sinners works within the system," he said.
"Even Arnold."
Silence crushed the room.
"You weren't meant to find this," Kernel continued.
"And now you have."
Sasha raised her weapon.
Too slow.
The world tilted.
Darkness rushed in.
[After]
Karry's last thought before losing consciousness—
Truth isn't free.
Kernel watched them fall.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
"But from now on…"
"…you belong to the truth."
[End of Chapter 13]