Chapter 27 - Chairman Zero
Harold Ashcroft invited them inside as though welcoming honored guests rather than enemies.
The mansion's interior looked untouched by time.
Ancient paintings.
Crystal chandeliers.
Dark wooden walls covered with portraits stretching back nearly two centuries.
Daniel noticed something unusual.
None of the portraits displayed names.
Only numbers.
Zero.
One.
Two.
Three.
Harold followed Daniel's gaze.
“The Circle never truly begins with Number One.”
Thomas stiffened.
“There is no Number Zero.”
“There wasn't…”
Harold smiled.
“…until me.”
Victor quietly stepped closer to Daniel.
“This changes everything.”
Harold led them into a circular library.
Waiting there stood twelve empty chairs.
Unlike the chamber beneath Bellarose, these appeared centuries older.
In the center rested the black archive container.
It had already arrived.
Harold placed one hand upon it.
“You've spent decades trying to destroy the Circle.”
He looked toward Eleanor.
“You infiltrated us.”
Toward Thomas.
“You stole from us.”
Toward Daniel.
“You inspired people to trust you.”
He laughed softly.
“And every one of those actions made the Circle stronger.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You've lost half your members.”
“Members are replaceable.”
Harold tapped the container.
“The archive isn't.”
He slowly opened the lid.
Instead of documents...
Instead of drives...
Instead of ledgers...
The container held a polished black sphere covered with moving symbols.
Thomas whispered in disbelief.
“They moved everything.”
Harold nodded.
“Paper can burn.”
“Servers can fail.”
“But memory…”
He rested his palm against the sphere.
“…can evolve.”
The symbols suddenly accelerated.
The sphere projected holographic faces throughout the library.
Every living Circle member.
Every deceased Chairman.
Every recorded successor.
Thousands of identities surrounded the room.
Then one face appeared larger than all the others.
May you like
Daniel Cole.
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