This is a meta-commentary from one of the characters. If you prefer, you can:
- — jump straight into the main narrative.
- — begin where the story truly opens.
Oh hey. You made it. Welcome to the chaos. This is Enigma Protocol, or as I like to call it, “That one time everything exploded and no one listened to me until it was too late.” Real events. Real people. Real trauma. Real Aralin history.
Also me. You’re welcome.
These are first-hand accounts. Actual conversations. The stuff people don’t say out loud unless someone’s recording without permission. Some of it’s memory. Some of it’s reconstruction. Some of it’s lies. (Not mine, obviously. I’m charming and trustworthy.)
The Archivist’s been putting it together. Guess she wanted an “insider official history”—the what happened before everything changed and how we got here version, but I’m assuming that’s what you’re here for anyway. Inside scoop. Truth behind the chaos.
Sometimes we throw in little bonuses. Fun stuff. Extra stuff. Lianne promised to include my ice cream list. @Archivist Right, Lianne?! Anyway, read ‘em if you want, skip ‘em if you don’t. Anything not labeled [BONUS] or [CHAOS] is probably important if you actually want to understand what happened.
So… ready?
Of course they’re in character.
What, you think I showed up here as a metaphor?
The comments are real. We’re real.
Some genius decided to release the full archive and gave us access to the comment section like that wouldn’t go horribly wrong.
- I’m Lev. You’ll love me. Most people do. Eventually. Except Mirel, but she’s wrong, and we don’t have time to unpack that.
- Kara (my sister) shows up to yell at me.
- PR tries to stop me from leaking classified content.
- Other people show up. Some of them are worse than me.
- If you see “[da Silva Holdings]”… run.
I mean… kinda.
I lived some of this. The rest I’m catching up on as it’s released.
Some chapters hit harder than others.
Some I wish I could unread.
Some I wish I could’ve changed.
I’m not technically allowed to talk about future releases. Plus, why ruin the fun of watching your reactions?
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Better to keep my cards close. Also—
Hi Mirel. Yes, I see you hovering. No, I won’t leak anything. Probably.
So yeah, I know stuff, but I’m keeping it vague. For your sake.
And maybe mine too.
Am I telling the truth?
I tell the truth, except when I don’t. And I hide things, except when I really, really want someone to notice.
Does that mean I survive? Hmm. That’s a good question.
Maybe. Or maybe I’m haunting this archive like a very stylish ghost.
Or maybe I’m an archive AI. “In memory of the real one.” Maybe that's why the Archivist lets me run wild. They miss me.
Guess you’ll find out if you make it that far.
The future is wild, and I’m not telling.
Please. I live for attention.
- Ask questions.
- Start theories.
- Bully Marcus. (Okay maybe don’t bully Marcus, he’s been through it.)
But seriously — comment. Sometimes we’ll even answer you.
Unless it’s a spoiler.
Then PR deletes it, Kara yells, or the Enigma Admin drops an ominous redacted box.
Fun times.
The Archivist wanted this on here:
This archive has been adapted for wider distribution. All language, dates, measurements (heights, weights, distances, etc.), and cultural terms may be auto-translated into your local defaults by the system’s encoder. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Inconsistencies may result.
[Lev] …Does that mean I might end up miniature on your planet? Or I could be measured in sandwiches? Or body parts? Lev is 12 hands tall.??
The Archivist seems to know way too much about what I was thinking during all these events. (Correct.) How is that possible if this is supposed to be a reconstruction?
That’s a fantastic question! And, unfortunately, one of the ones I’m not allowed to answer. Let’s just say Lianne’s a Temporal (check the if you’re that curious). She already knows too much on her own, but she also has access to a few… unconventional tools.
That’s all I can say. Don’t hate me.
Cool cool. You can get a .
But if you read live, you get:
- Me. (In my prime. Obviously.)
- Unfolding conspiracies.
- Real-time emotional damage.
- Possibly Kara kicking someone. You know. For emotional balance.
Basically, this is the version where the world talks back. And trust me, you want to hear what it says.
Also, the Archivist said to tell you the ebook is formatted like a novel, so there’s some technical “structural variance” thing she started explaining before I tuned out. Ask her if you’re curious. She loves questions. (Unlike some people I know. Looking at you, Marcus.)
I think the biggest difference is no me. ??
[Kara] I cannot believe you’re the face of this archive.
[Lev] I am the face of this archive.
Possibly the arms and legs, too.
Archivist’s Note on AI Use
Originally, I included the AI-Assisted tag out of caution. After reviewing RR’s policy (), I believe my work doesn’t fall under what the tag is meant to indicate. AI tools were used only for copyediting (grammar/flow), but the voice and content are fully mine. Some images used in the story are AI generated.