Few weeks later
“Get going, get going, get going!” I yell, pulling a black tarp over myself as the initial explosion blasts through the darkness. My feet struck the wet concrete, splashing through puddles that mirror the neon hues of the slums. The air is heavy with the smell of ozone and burnt flesh. I am being pursued, and this time, they are making sure I can not get away.
I stood at a corner, my heart racing and pulse beating in my throat. I do not glance back. Not a single time. I can hear the cries, but they are not mine. Not at this moment. If I pause, if I take even a moment's break, they'll seize me.
The narrow alley is cramped, filled with decaying metal containers and the remnants of past human existence. Trash bags overflow, and discarded food wrappers dance in the wind like phantoms of this location. The odor of rot is heavy, yet it's the only fragrance I rely on amid the chaos of chemicals and smoke swirling around.
I can hardly take two more steps when a voice sputters in my ear, soft and full of urgency.
“Hey, is that you?
Eris.
Her voice pierced through the confusion like a blade. I attempt to suppress the panic rising in my spine, yet it’s difficult to concentrate when everything is falling apart. “Yeah, I’m present.” "What on earth is happening?"
“They located your safe house.” Her words paralyze me.
The sad reality sinks in, and it seems as if I’ve been hit in the stomach. The safe house was meant to be unbreachable. It was intended to be my final refuge, the sole location where they couldn't reach me.
However, they did. And now it's disappeared.
"Damn," I mutter quietly. My gaze shifts to the sides, searching for any signs of pursuit. The walls of this city close in, claustrophobic, suffocating. I keep moving, every step an effort to stay ahead of whatever’s chasing me.
“Where are you?” Eris demands, voice tight with worry. “I’ll come to you, Mira. Just hold on.”
“No.” I grit my teeth, my voice cold. “You’re not coming here. You’re the one who got me into this mess in the first place. You stay the hell away.”
I hear the briefest pause on the other end, and then a heavy sigh. “Fine. But you better get out of there, Mira. Fast. This isn’t just some random hit. Whoever’s after you, they’re going to keep coming until they get you.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I mutter, but the words don’t feel right. They feel like an empty shield, like I’m pretending that I’m in control. Like I’m not already out of options.
The explosion’s shockwave hits me a second time, and I stumble forward, slamming into the wall of a decrepit building. Dust falls from the ceiling, coating my face with grime. I wipe it away, eyes narrowed in the darkness. I’m close to the back alley that’ll take me deeper into the slums. But there’s nowhere left to hide.
“The safe house wasn’t just compromised,” I tell Eris, my voice quiet, though my hands are trembling. “It was a setup. They knew where I was.”
Another explosion. This one rattles the windows of nearby buildings, and I hear the shouts of men in the distance Synthetics, most likely. They always make noise. It’s their signature. You can hear them coming from a mile away.
“No shit,” Eris replies, her voice crackling in the static. “Someone’s got a mole inside. And it’s not just the security system this time. Whoever’s pulling the strings, they’ve been tracking you for a while.”
I stop in my tracks, the blood in my veins turning to ice. “A mole?”
“You’re not the only one in this game, Mira. Someone’s leaking your location. And I don’t know who, but I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
The words hang in the air, more dangerous than the blasts echoing behind me. I take a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. I’ve been through worse. I’ve survived worse.
But tonight… Tonight feels different.
I break into a sprint again, the pounding of my feet louder in my ears than the sound of my breath. I round the corner into another alleyway and stop dead in my tracks.
The safe house… my safe house is in flames.
The entire building is engulfed, flames licking at the sky, casting an eerie orange glow over the slums. There’s no more hiding now. It’s gone, reduced to a pile of rubble and ash. And they know I’m here.
I don’t have a second to waste. I turn back toward the alley, fingers curling around the gun tucked in my jacket. It feels lighter than it should, almost like it’s nothing more than a distraction.
Something appears in the distance. I squint through the smoke and flames. It’s a human, or close to it but there’s something wrong. The way he walks, too controlled, too measured. It’s as if he’s not even human anymore.
My instincts scream, but it’s too late to run. He’s already spotted me.
“Mira Voss,” he calls out, his voice smooth like oil, but there’s an edge to it. A warning. “You’ve caused quite a mess tonight.”
I raise the gun, pointing it directly at his chest. I can’t waste time. I can’t afford another fight. But I don’t lower it. Not yet.
“Who the hell are you?” I ask, my voice cold, controlled. I’m not giving him anything. Not yet.
The man smiles, a thin, predatory grin. “You don’t recognize me? I’d be disappointed if you did. But I’m sure we’ll be properly introduced soon enough. For now, let’s just say I’m not your friend, Mira.”
“Good. I don’t have friends.”
I squeeze the trigger, but the shot’s never fired. Before I can react, he moves too fast. In the blink of an eye, he’s at my side, knocking the gun from my hand with a flick of his wrist.
I stumble back, eyes wide with shock. I’ve faced the impossible before, but this this is different. This is something beyond human.
“I don’t kill people like you,” the man says, his tone almost bored, as if I’m nothing more than an inconvenience. “But I think you’ll find our next meeting more… final.”
He turns, walking away with the same unnerving confidence. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know why he’s here, but I can feel it in my gut: He’s not just a mole. He’s part of something bigger.
And whatever it is, it’s coming for me.
I look around at the burning remnants of my safe house, my heart sinking.
No more running. This is war.
