“They’re Coming.”
A voice crackled through. Low and mechanical. It was Zeke.
“Lyra, they’re closer than I thought. You need to disappear—now.”
“Easier said than done,” she muttered, her lips curling up ever so slightly before pressing them firmly together. This was the city after midnight, a place where even light bent at strange angles. Vanishing here was easier than anywhere, but not when someone’s specifically trained to find you.
She shut off the device with a firm swipe. The last time a mission went south, her handler had sent Zeke. He had botched the infiltration op, nearly getting them both killed. She still wasn’t convinced whether it was incompetence or sabotage. Either way, she didn’t plan to stick around to find out this time.
The shadows constantly shifted as she navigated the labyrinth-like streets, purple lights fading into deeper blues and reds the farther she strayed from the main roads. The cozy, casual café atmosphere just a block back was a distant dream. All that remained now was the underbelly of the city where nothing was simple, not even breathing.
Turning one final corner, she saw it—the dilapidated building. The “Midnight Shelter,” as her network called it, wasn’t glamorous, but it was off the grid. The structure was tall, its cracked windows reflecting shards of moonlight. Here was her chance. If she reached it, she’d be able to mask her signal and disappear long enough to counter-track whoever was hunting her.
Her pulse quickened as adrenaline surged through her veins. She sprinted the last few meters, boots clicking in rapid succession on the wet pavement. Just as she reached the door and yanked it open, the night burst into chaotic light behind her.
A Silent Threat
The blast slammed into her, forcing her to stumble inside. Smoke from the explosion began to billow in the alley. Her keen instincts told her one of the traps she’d set minutes before had triggered—buying her just enough time. Gritting her teeth, she placed her back against the door, forcing it closed with one hard shove.
Breathing came in short gasps. She had made it—barely.
Just as the reality of relief started to settle in, the soft trill of her nano-device buzzed again. Slowly, deliberately, she swiped across the air, eyes hard as steel.
“I found you.” The voice wasn’t Zeke.
And her heart, for the first time in a long while, faltered.
The empty halls of the Midnight Shelter were silent, but Lyra knew she wasn’t alone anymore.
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