Selene spent the next few days in a state of quiet desperation. She couldn't bring herself to tell the others what she had discovered. The thought of what she might become - what she might do - was too much to bear. But the weight of the truth was crushing her, and she knew she couldn't keep it to herself forever.
She finally confided in Daniel one evening, after the others had gone to bed. They sat in the dim light of her quarters, the air heavy with tension. Selene's voice was barely above a whisper as she explained what she had found in the archives.
Daniel listened in silence, his expression growing darker with every word. When she finished, he leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. "We'll find a way to stop it," he said, his voice firm. "There has to be a way to disable the failsafe."
Selene shook her head, her eyes filled with despair. "What if there isn't?" she asked. "What if the only way to stop it is to… to stop me?"
Daniel's jaw tightened, and he reached out to take her hand. "We're not giving up on you," he said. "Not now, not ever. You're not just some weapon, Selene. You're a person. And we're going to fight for you, no matter what it takes."
His words were a lifeline, but Selene couldn't shake the fear that lingered in the back of her mind. She wanted to believe him, but the truth was a shadow she couldn't escape. The Consortium had designed her to be a weapon, and she wasn't sure if she could ever truly be free of that.
The next morning, the resistance gathered in the war room to discuss their next move. The raid on the facility had weakened the Consortium, but they were far from defeated. Reports were coming in from across the globe, detailing new attacks and counteroffensives. The fight was far from over.
Selene stood at the head of the table, her eyes scanning the faces of her team. They were all looking to her for guidance, for hope. But how could she lead them when she wasn't even sure of herself?
"We need to strike again," Kieran said, breaking the silence. "We've got the momentum. If we hit them hard now, we can cripple them for good."
Elara nodded in agreement. "The Consortium's forces are spread thin. If we coordinate with our allies, we can push them back on multiple fronts."
Selene listened as the others debated their options, her mind racing. She knew they were right - they needed to keep pushing. But the thought of leading another mission, of risking her team's lives, filled her with dread. What if the failsafe activated while they were in the field? What if she became the very thing they were fighting against?
As the meeting drew to a close, Selene made a decision. She couldn't risk putting her team in danger. Not until she knew for sure that she could control whatever was inside her.
"I'll lead the next mission," she said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. "But I need to do it alone."
The room fell silent, and Selene could feel the weight of their stares. Daniel was the first to speak. "You're not going alone," he said, his voice firm. "We're in this together, remember?"
Selene shook her head. "This is different," she said. "I can't explain it, but… I need to do this on my own. Trust me."
The others exchanged uneasy glances, but no one argued. They trusted her, and that only made the weight of her decision heavier. As the team dispersed, Selene felt a cold knot of dread settle in her chest. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew one thing for certain - the fight was far from over. And the greatest battle she would face might be the one within herself.