ANTI HERO META-VERSE | FICTION

The Brother

The Vignette Gazette Edition #175 | Elevator, Memory

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Hands on his back, cold metal pushed against his back. Couldn’t run. Not that he wasn’t capable of it. But it was because they had her. Somewhere inside this building.

That left him with nowhere else to go. He was here either to save her or to question her. At this point, he wasn’t even sure which.

“You guys are so fun and all!” Keane taunted the guards. “Why don’t you add some boring elevator music? That would complete the vibe!”

No answer.

“B-O-R-I-N-G…”

Silence.

The elevator stopped. And the door opened.

White corridor stretched ahead. Bright fluorescent lights above. Antiseptic filled the air.

Something buzzed. The same buzzing sounds.

Legion had facilities like this buried beneath their compounds. He’d spent years in places like these, back when they thought he still needed "treatments".

But this wasn’t Legion.

This was Asterion.

And of all the times and places, the memory chose here to attack him.

The smell. The lights. The confusion of a ten-year-old boy. The desperate need to escape. The brother. Arkan.

Keane breathed sharply. And for the first time, he remembered everything. One step into the corridor was all it took. The memories crashed with merciless force.

“Ar… kan,” he murmured. It tasted wrong in his mouth. Disrespectful. His brother. His only brother.

He had killed him.

The guards shoved him. Impatiently.

“Move!”

But his body refused to move.

He was drowning in his own memories.

One of the guards kicked the back of his knee.

He fell against the concrete floor. He didn’t fight it this time.

A pair of polished shoes stopped in front of him.

Keane looked up.

M was standing there.

Smiling.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” M said. Amused. “Looks like the identity crisis has finally kicked in.”

Thank you, Stephen Dalton, for the amazing prompt.

[embed]The Vignette Gazette Edition #175 Your writing prompt for Friday, June 5, 2026 — Elevator & Memorymedium.com

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Miriam Connolly

[embed]The Final Roll Call The Vignette Gazette Edition #175 | Elevator, Memorymedium.com

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***Meta Marvelia***

Thank you for reading and for sticking around till the end! I hope you enjoyed the story. Here are the guidelines for the Fiction Shorts submission:

[embed]UPDATED Rules and Tips–Read Before Submitting Your First Vignette Updated on March 13, 2026medium.com

MJS