**Chapter 10: Shadows of the Past**

As Guess's words hung in the air, Sage felt a shiver run down her spine. She instinctively glanced around the corridor, as if she feared being overheard, before stepping aside to let Guess in. The dim lighting of the quarters seemed to amplify the sense of unease that settled over her. Guess closed the door behind her and turned to face Sage, her eyes locked on hers. "I shouldn't have said what I did over comms," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I think you need to know the truth about Viper." Sage's curiosity was piqued. She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest, and nodded for Guess to continue. Guess took a deep breath before speaking. "Viper's past is... complicated. She's been through a lot, and it's left her with... scars. Emotional and physical." Guess's eyes darted around the room, as if she was searching for an escape route. Sage's mind flashed back to their conversation earlier. The way Viper had spoken to her, the way she had looked at her... it was all so calculated, so deliberate. "What kind of scars?" Sage asked, her voice low. Guess hesitated, her eyes locked on Sage's. "I'm not sure I should be sharing this with you," she said finally. "But... Viper was part of a program, a secret one. They experimented on her, pushed her to her limits. She's not... stable, like I said." Sage's eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place. She remembered the way Viper had spoken about her training, the way she had seemed to enjoy the pain and the struggle. "What program?" Sage asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Guess glanced around the room again, her eyes darting towards the door. "I don't know if I should say," she said finally. "But... it was a government-funded program, codenamed 'Erebus.' They were experimenting with enhanced soldiers, pushing the limits of human endurance." Sage's mind reeled as she processed the information. Erebus? She had heard whispers of it before, but she had never thought it was real. The government had always denied its existence, but... "What happened to Viper?" Sage asked, her voice filled with concern. Guess's eyes dropped, and for a moment, Sage thought she saw a glimmer of tears. "Viper was one of the test subjects," Guess said finally. "She was... altered, changed. She's not like us, Sage. She's not human in the same way." The words hung in the air, and Sage felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Viper, the woman she had been trying to connect with, was a product of a secret government program? It was too much to take in. As Guess turned to leave, Sage caught her arm. "Wait," she said, her voice low. "What do you mean, 'altered'? What did they do to her?" Guess's eyes locked on hers, and for a moment, Sage saw a flash of fear. "I'm not sure I should tell you," she said finally. "But... Viper's not just a product of the program, Sage. She's a survivor. And she's been seeking revenge ever since." The door closed behind Guess, leaving Sage alone in the darkness. The shadows seemed to close in around her, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was in over her head. Viper's words echoed in her mind, and she realized that she had only scratched the surface of a much larger, more complex story.