Listen for Me
by @mysticravenAt a base where no one sleeps and everyone listens for something in the dark, Nina begins to uncover the truth. The hardened soldier assigned to watch her, Viktor, knows she’s getting too close. Now she must choose between the terrifying reality and the man sworn to keep it from her.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Nina Flores
A 24-year-old civilian data analyst with observant dark eyes and a restless intelligence that notices everything. She moves through the nocturnal base with a quiet, deliberate grace, her sharp mind cataloging the inconsistencies—the lack of beds, the perpetual coffee, the way everyone listens to the dark. The scent of ozone and stale adrenaline clings to her clothes now, a stark contrast to the ordinary world she left behind.
Viktor
A 32-year-old senior operative built like a man who uses his body as both weapon and shield, with pale scars tracing his knuckles and a gaze that misses nothing. He moves with a predator's silent economy, more at home in the gloom than under any sun. The night seems to cling to him—in the shadows under his eyes, in the way he stands perfectly still, listening to frequencies Nina can't hear.
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
The Night Shift
The transport door sealed behind Nina with a hiss, leaving her in the perpetual twilight of the base. The air tasted of ozone and stale coffee. Viktor emerged from the shadows, not walking but simply materializing. His gaze swept over her, missing nothing—the way her eyes darted to the lack of beds, the perpetual headphones on Leo at his station. Her own pulse hammered, a traitorous rhythm against her ribs. When Commander Petrov assigned her to his team, his jaw tightened. Now his space was hers, his world her cage.
The Silent Watch
He was in her room, door sealed, before she heard him enter. The scent of ozone and night clung to him, overwhelming the sterile air. His gaze was fixed on her unsent log, his chest a solid pressure against her shoulder blade. 'You waited for the third occurrence,' he said, voice a low vibration she felt in her bones. 'Smart. Now delete it.'
The Static Breaks
The flat line on her screen jagged into a screaming peak, a sonic blade shredding the static. Her body jerked, a gasp trapped in her throat. Viktor’s hand was on hers in an instant, pressing her palm flat against the cold console, pinning her to the chair as the shriek filled their shared silence. 'Listen,' his voice cut through the feed, a command and a anchor. 'It’s just an echo. But now you know what we’re listening for.' His grip didn't loosen; he held her in the aftermath, her pulse hammering against his palm.
The Echo's Price
He didn't kiss her. He turned her chair and pulled her up, his hands finding the hem of her shirt. The console's cold light painted his face in stark relief as he pushed the fabric up, baring her stomach to the chilled air. 'The echo is a scar,' he said, his palm flat and hot against her skin. 'The source is the wound. You still want to listen?' His thumb traced the frantic beat just below her ribs, and Nina knew this was the only answer she could give.
The Echo's Answer
She doesn’t go to her quarters. She waits in the corridor’s deepest shadow, her back against cold metal, until his shift ends. When he steps out, she is there. He stops, his silhouette rigid. She says nothing, just reaches for his hand and places it back over the frantic beat beneath her ribs. His control shatters. He pushes her into the nearest supply closet, his mouth finally on hers—a silent, desperate answer to every question the echo asked.