Lyra sat hunched over her workbench, the dim glow of Etherium lanterns casting flickering shadows across the hideout’s underground chamber. Scraps of parchment littered the table, filled with arcane symbols, alchemical formulas, and hastily scribbled notes. Her fingers were stained with soot and Etherium dust, her exhaustion evident in the dark circles beneath her eyes, but she pressed on. She had to.

The resistance was running out of time. The pirates’ corrupted Etherium dampening field had rendered their explosives useless, and without a way to counter it, they would be helpless against the Iron Tempest’s cannon. But Lyra had begun to see a pattern, a weakness hidden within the corruption itself.

“Rez,” she called out, her voice thick with fatigue but alight with excitement. “I think I’ve found it.”

Rez, who had been speaking with Mira and Eren about their next move, turned sharply at the sound of her voice. He strode over, peering at the parchment as Lyra tapped an intricate diagram.

“The corrupted Etherium is unstable,” she explained. “It amplifies its dampening field by feeding off impure energy sources. But if we introduce pure Etherium into the mix, it will disrupt the corruption—essentially neutralizing the field.”

Rez frowned. “Pure Etherium? That’s not exactly easy to come by.”

“Which is why we need to steal it,” Lyra said firmly. “The pirates have been hoarding pure Etherium crystals in the mines near Hollow Gorge. If we can get in, we can take enough to counteract the dampening field.”

Mira, still pale from her injuries, leaned forward. “That mine is one of their most heavily guarded operations. They know how valuable pure Etherium is.”

Rez ran a hand through his hair. “Then we’ll just have to be smarter about it.”

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Under the cover of darkness, Rez led the strike team toward the mine. The night air was thick with the scent of iron and damp earth. Kellen, Eren, Lyra, and a handful of the newly recruited miners followed, moving carefully along the ridge overlooking the pirate encampment.

Below, massive floodlights illuminated a sprawling excavation site. Pirate enforcers patrolled the perimeter while machines chiseled away at the rock. A fortified storage facility stood at the heart of the camp, where the pure Etherium was undoubtedly kept.

Rez turned to the group. “Kellen, take a small team and create a diversion near the eastern ridge. Draw as many of them away as you can. Eren, you and the miners will cover our exit. Lyra, you’re with me. We get in, grab the Etherium, and get out.”

Kellen grinned. “Distractions are my specialty.”

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They moved swiftly into position. Kellen’s team lit a series of alchemical charges, sending plumes of fire and smoke into the night sky. Shouts of alarm rang through the mine as the pirates scrambled to respond, their forces diverting toward the explosion.

Seizing the moment, Rez and Lyra slipped through the shadows, reaching the storage facility undetected. The guards inside had thinned, leaving only a few stragglers. Rez dispatched them quickly and silently, his black powder pistol muffled by the soft hiss of his alchemical suppressor.

Inside the storage room, Lyra’s eyes widened at the sight before her. Crates of Etherium crystals lined the shelves, their pale blue glow pulsating faintly in the dim light.

“This is it,” she whispered, moving to collect the largest pieces she could find. Rez helped her load them into their packs. But as they turned to leave, a cold voice stopped them in their tracks.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.”

Arvis stood in the doorway, his hulking form framed by the flickering lantern light. His signature twin axes gleamed menacingly as he stepped forward, blocking their escape. Behind him, a squad of heavily armed pirates flanked the room.

“Drop the crystals,” Arvis growled. “Or I start breaking bones.”

Rez tightened his grip on his pistol. “Not an option.”

“Then I hope you’re ready to die.”

Arvis lunged. Rez barely had time to react, twisting away as an axe embedded itself into a wooden crate where he had been standing moments before. Lyra ducked behind the shelving, clutching the Etherium to her chest as chaos erupted.

Gunfire and steel clashed. Rez fired two shots, taking down a pirate before rolling behind cover. Arvis came at him again, faster than Rez expected for a man his size. His second axe sliced through the air, barely missing Rez’s shoulder as he threw himself aside.

Then, from outside, came an explosion.

Kellen’s voice rang through the comms crystal. “You two better be on your way out!”

Rez knew they were out of time. “Lyra, go!”

She hesitated, but one look at the battle unfolding told her there was no room for argument. She sprinted toward the exit, ducking past a distracted pirate. Rez fired another shot, forcing Arvis back long enough to follow.

The resistance forces were already retreating when Rez and Lyra burst out of the facility. Kellen was at the center of the firefight, covering their escape with precise crossbow shots.

“About damn time!” Kellen shouted, motioning for them to run.

As they made their way toward the exit, a group of reinforcements closed in. Too many. Kellen saw it too.

“Rez, take them and go,” Kellen ordered.

Rez’s stomach twisted. “Not happening.”

Kellen smirked. “I was never planning on making it out of this one. Someone’s gotta cover the retreat.”

Before Rez could stop him, Kellen grabbed a handful of alchemical charges from his belt and sprinted toward the advancing pirates. The last thing Rez saw was Kellen’s defiant grin before the charges ignited, sending a fiery shockwave through the gorge.

The explosion lit up the night, shaking the ground beneath them. Rez clenched his jaw, forcing himself forward as the resistance retreated into the wilderness.

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Back at the hideout, the air was thick with grief. The Etherium crystals sat on the table where Lyra had begun preparing them, their glow eerily serene despite the heavy cost they had exacted.

Rez stood in silence, staring at the dim lantern light flickering against the cavern walls. Mira sat nearby, her gaze distant. Eren clenched his fists, his usual stoicism cracking at the edges.

Lyra wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Kellen didn’t die for nothing. This will work.”

Rez nodded slowly. “Then let’s make sure it does.”

Kellen’s sacrifice had given them a chance. Now, they had to make it count.