The chaos spreading through Skylance City was a wildfire—Alastor’s message had taken root, sowing unrest across the streets and shaking the foundations of the Pyramid’s control. The rebellion was gaining momentum, but even as the world stirred awake, the greatest danger wasn’t from the elites above—it was from within.

Deep within the labyrinthine alleys of Skylance, where neon lights barely pierced the fog of the underground, Nyx Ashford moved like a shadow among shadows. The rebellion had been the perfect storm for her—a chance to operate under the radar, to shift allegiances and tilt the odds in her favor. But Nyx had never fought for anyone but herself.

For as long as she could remember, she had played both sides, dancing between loyalty and treachery with practiced ease. And now, with the Pyramid’s empire beginning to crumble and Alastor rallying his army for an all-out war, Nyx saw an opportunity too good to pass up.

She slipped into a private corner of a dimly lit backroom—a den for smugglers and killers—and tapped into the encrypted channel buried deep within her neural interface. A forbidden channel, one that only a handful of people in the world knew existed.

The link buzzed to life in her mind, cold and sharp, sending a pulse of dark energy through her. And then, the voice came—low, smooth, and dangerously calm.

Lucius Cipher.

"Nyx Ashford," the voice murmured, each word carrying the weight of centuries. "You’ve been a busy little snake."

Nyx leaned against the wall, her lips curling into a wicked smile. "What can I say? Old habits die hard."

Lucius’s voice was silk wrapped around steel. "And here I thought you had thrown in your lot with Creed. A surprising choice, for someone like you."

Nyx chuckled, twirling a lock of her raven-black hair around her finger. "Oh, don’t misunderstand me, Lucius. I know Alastor better than anyone. He thinks this war is about freedom. But I’m not here for freedom." Her eyes gleamed in the dim light. "I’m here to win."

There was a pause on the other end of the connection, filled with the weight of something unspoken. Lucius had seen traitors come and go throughout countless lifetimes. But Nyx was different—she didn’t betray out of fear or desperation. She betrayed because it was fun.

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"And what do you want from me?" Lucius asked softly, his tone as unreadable as the shifting sands of the Pyramid’s trials.

Nyx’s smile sharpened, like a blade hidden beneath velvet. "Alastor thinks he’s untouchable. He thinks he can tear down the Pyramid without becoming the very thing he hates. But we both know how that story ends, don’t we?"

Lucius gave no response, but Nyx knew he was listening. She could feel the tension in the air, like a coiled serpent waiting to strike.

"I have something you want," Nyx whispered, her voice laced with dark amusement. "Alastor’s plans. His movements. His allies. Everything you need to crush his little rebellion."

"And in return?" Lucius’s voice was soft, patient—dangerous. He wasn’t one to make promises lightly.

Nyx’s eyes glittered in the darkness. "I want a seat at the table. Not just any seat. I want to sit at the top. Right next to you."

Lucius chuckled softly, the sound devoid of warmth. "You believe I’d trust you to sit beside me? A traitor who changes allegiances as easily as the wind shifts direction?"

Nyx’s smile deepened. "You don’t need to trust me, Lucius. You just need me to deliver Alastor to you. And I will."

She leaned closer to the shadows, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Everyone has a price, Lucius." The edges of her smile glittered with malice. "What’s mine?"

There was a long, deliberate silence on the other end, but Nyx wasn’t worried. She had spent years perfecting the art of betrayal, and now, the stakes were higher than ever. With Alastor’s rebellion on the rise and the Pyramid’s power on the brink of collapse, there was only one thing that mattered: survival.

Nyx knew how to survive. And if that meant betraying Alastor Creed, so be it.

Finally, Lucius spoke—low, measured, and filled with the cold certainty of a man who had lived through centuries of manipulation. "You’ll have your chance, Nyx. Bring me Creed... and we’ll discuss your place at the top."

Nyx’s pulse quickened, though she kept her expression carefully neutral. This was exactly what she had been waiting for.

"Pleasure doing business," she whispered, disconnecting the neural link with a flick of her thoughts. The shadows swallowed the connection, leaving her alone in the darkness once more.

For a moment, Nyx stood in silence, her mind spinning with possibilities. The rebellion, Alastor, Lucius—all of them were just pieces on a board, and Nyx was already several moves ahead. If everything went according to plan, she wouldn’t just survive the coming war. She’d win it.

With a satisfied smirk, Nyx straightened her coat and slipped back into the chaos of the city, already planning her next move.