The descent was madness. How ridiculous our initial plan of getting in and out in thirty minutes seemed now. We’d easily been fighting and forcing our way through for over two hours by this point.

—This is it. That’s the door —I said, pointing at the imposing steel entrance in front of us.

—Sure looks like it —Kan replied, inspecting it with a skeptical grimace.—Bro, unless your buddy has a trick up his sleeve, how do you plan on opening a door like this? Not even all the explosives in the world would move it.

I turned to Melena, who nodded calmly.

—Turns out, we do have a trick —I said, gesturing toward Melena—. Let him work his magic. We’ll fall back and defend the hallway.

We moved to the T-shaped junction, taking positions back-to-back while Melena started working on the door.

—How the hell did you end up here, idiot? —I asked, breaking the silence as we kept watch over the ends of the hallway.

—Hey, hey, little bro, no need to get so hostile. I’m more surprised by how you ended up here.

—I was offered this job. It pays well, and it’s in Obis.

—Not bad. By the way, you’ve been stuck here for almost two months. Any word about Mom?

—About Aunt Ona? Nothing. I moved out of your place right around the time you left for your famous “military course.”

—Ah, shit. Mom’s going to tear me a new one when I get out of here.

—Well deserved.

Kan let out a laugh, but I barely smiled. This wasn’t the time to relax; we could hear the metallic echoes of machines moving on the upper floors, and who knew how long Melena would need to open the door.

—So? —I asked without taking my eyes off the hallway.

—So what?

—How’d you end up here?

Kan sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the interrogation.

—You’re not going to let this go, are you?

—No. You owe me —I said, giving him a resentful look—. I only took this job because they promised me information on your whereabouts.

Kan let out another, heavier sigh.

—I think Tisha sold me out.

—Tisha? As in Tisha, your girlfriend from the Enforcers? The one everyone, including your mother, told you was a terrible idea?

—No need to rub salt in the wound.

—Hah, I should’ve left you in that cell.

—You’re not serious.

When he saw my expression, he repeated, though with less confidence this time:

—You’re not serious, right?

—Why wouldn’t I be? —I asked coldly, letting the tension in the air linger.

Kan looked away for a moment before speaking:

—There was an opening among the officer ranks. As the top-ranking sub-officer, no one even came close to competing with me. The pay raise, the implants, the status… all of it had to be too tempting. I don’t know if it was Tisha or not, but it was definitely someone within the corps.

—Mmm, I’ve seen people get stabbed for less.

—Not surprising. Among nobles, they stab first and ask questions later.

—I’m not a noble.

—Your last name is Neuvak. Like hell you’re not a noble.

—I’m not paying thirty grand to city hall just to erase my family name.

—Well, point for you. —He paused, his hand wandering to his waist, probably out of habit. He used to smoke. When he didn’t find anything, he asked—. So, what’s your plan now? Heading back to your family?

—Nah. That was never going to happen. They don’t want me there, and frankly, after everything I went through, I stopped wanting to try.

—So?

—I’m working on finishing my studies. Even though my family paid for them, I want to at least get a degree out of it.

—You think a high school certificate is going to help you find a job? You’ll need more than that.

—High school? I finished that years ago. At twelve. —A bitter smile crossed my face—. When there’s no one waiting for you at home, moving ahead is easy. Now I’m finishing my undergrad thesis. If it hadn’t been for the service, I’d already have my master’s.

—I see. I guess some people have to prove everything, even if no one’s watching. It’s amazing what you can do when you feel like you’ve got something to prove. Funny to think it took me two extra years just to finish high school.

We shared a light laugh.

Suddenly, Kan raised his weapon and pointed it straight at my face.

—What’s wrong?

—I… —he was glancing around desperately—. I swear I felt something… something hostile.

I looked around, but there was nothing and no one. The area had fallen into an eerie silence; even the distant sounds of fighting had vanished.

—Too much time in confinement might’ve made you a little paranoid.

—Yeah… maybe that’s it.

Kan mumbled something I couldn’t quite catch, and I was starting to get genuinely worried about his mental state.

—Mr. Kailen, I think we have a problem.

—What is it?

—The door just opened.

…

…

…

—And why is that bad, my hairless friend?

Melena looked at Kan with evident disgust.

—Because I didn’t do anything. All the preparations I made haven’t even been used yet. Somehow, someone or something bypassed the security protocols… on its own.

An ominous sensation ran through me.

—There’s nothing and no one around, but we’ll go in cautiously. I’ll go first, then Melena. Kan, you’ll cover the rear.

I advanced step by step.

If the hallway we were in was dimly lit, the room we entered had a faint but constant red glow.

I turned to my left, with my weapon resting on my shoulder and my gaze fixed on the sights. There was nothing but a bunch of terminals and workstations. Slowly, I moved my weapon, letting the flashlight illuminate each workstation, one by one.

Finally, I turned to the right, and the first thing that caught my attention was the massive statue embedded in the wall.

A MASSIVE STATUE!

—Shit, fall back!

Almost instinctively, I jumped back, knocking Melena over, and we both ended up on the floor.

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In an instant, Kan grabbed us both by the collars of our jackets and dragged us. In less than a couple of seconds, we were back on our feet. Kan and I took positions, flanking the door with our weapons ready.

...

—That thing isn’t active, right? —Kan asked, his voice low but tense.

I took another look.

—Doesn’t seem like it.

—You go first.

—You owe me your life.

—I’m injured. I’d just slow you down.

—You’ve always been a damn burden.

I advanced slowly, keeping my flashlight fixed on the target.

What looked like a statue was, in fact, a massive construct. Thick cables connected it to pipes protruding from the walls. Somehow, the thing gave the impression of being chained there, though I knew it was just a mental illusion.

—No danger —I finally said, relaxing my shoulders a bit.

We cautiously entered the room.

—So, Kailen, what are we looking for in here? —Kan asked.

—A VIP. We need to extract someone being held here.

The room was so dimly lit that, at first, I couldn't see anyone. Soon, however, Melena pointed to something on the far side.

—Sir Kailen, there's someone here. It looks like… a girl.

I moved toward where Melena was, but I couldn’t help glancing back every few steps at the gigantic construct embedded in the wall. Its presence was nearly suffocating.

The girl in question looked to be around twelve, though she was smaller than expected for her age. I gently opened her eyelids to check her eyes; they were an intense yellow, glowing even under the faint red light. Moving her hair aside, I noticed a tattoo behind her neck: two crossed swords with a rose in the center.

—This is undoubtedly our VIP. —I turned to Melena.— Can you confirm if it’s safe to disconnect her from all this?

Melena inspected the connections coming from the girl’s neck and wrists, lines that seemed to merge into the room's intricate network.

—The girl’s tied into the building’s network. I’d prefer to take this slowly… so we don’t wake that up.

I kept looking at the gigantic construct, biting my lip in frustration.

—Do whatever you have to. —I turned to Kan.— And you, keep your hands still. I don’t want you waking this damned place.

Kan was on the verge of collapse, his eyes darting from corner to corner as if chasing invisible shadows.

—There’s something wrong here —he muttered, his voice trembling.— I’ve felt like something’s been following us this whole time. It’s here, with us.

I watched as he turned in circles, moving frantically like a dog trying to catch its tail.

—Calm down! —I raised my voice to break his spiral of panic.— We’re close. Just a little more, and we’ll be out of here.

A few moments passed where Melena’s aggressive typing was the only sound in the room. Then, a low, prolonged metallic creak echoed, as if something massive was moving behind the walls.

—I’m telling you, Kai, something’s wrong on this floor. Something’s been following us since we came down here. —Kan’s voice was heavy with panic, and I couldn’t blame him; that metallic sound had made my skin crawl too.

—Control your nerves, we’re almost done. —I tried to sound firm, but even I was starting to feel the weight of it. Something was wrong; the atmosphere had shifted. The air felt heavier, oppressive. I glanced at Melena.— How much longer?

—Something’s interfering with my process —he said urgently, her eyes glued to the screen.— I don’t know where it’s coming from, but something’s fighting back, trying to use the girl as a proxy. They’re trying to hack the stronghold.

A dry, grinding sound, like worn-out gears, rumbled behind us, and the floor seemed to vibrate slightly.

—What do you mean by…?

—Shit! —Melena yelled, cutting me off. With a desperate yank, he pulled the thick cable from the girl’s neck.— Run!

I didn’t dare look back. A deep, resonating thud echoed, like something massive had shaken the room. I removed the cables from the girl’s wrists as quickly as I could and scooped her into my arms.

—Kan, move!

Another metallic sound, like the crash of steel plates colliding, filled the air as the massive construct began to stir. Gears turned with a slow, unnatural rhythm, as if it were waking after centuries of dormancy.

Without looking back, I bolted with all the strength I could muster, each thundering noise reverberating through my chest.

—Don’t stop! —I shouted, my heart pounding in my ears.

The once-dead silence of the area transformed into a cacophony of activity. I could feel the gigantic construct coming alive, its deep rumble shaking my very bones, while an eerie chorus of sounds emanated from the floors above. Footsteps, metallic screeches, and echoes of machinery—all of it heading straight for us.

—Which way? —Kan yelled, sprinting ahead like a whirlwind.

—To the opposite wing! —I called back, adjusting the girl in my arms.— There should be an exit there!

We moved quickly, but as we turned a corner, we encountered enemies. Without hesitation, Kan stepped in front of me, unloading his rifle as we ran.

As we turned the next corner, we came across a group of simple droids with their backs to us. Before I could react, Kan charged at them like a battering ram, knocking them down with the brutality of a rhinoceros. Even injured and malnourished, his strength was overwhelming, almost inhuman.

—Two more corners, and we’re there! Hold on! —I shouted over the din.

I could hear Melena’s labored breathing just behind me, each gasp pulling him closer and closer to his limit.

—Hang in there! —I called back without looking, trying to keep him motivated as I pushed forward at full speed.

Finally, the room appeared just around the bend. A spark of hope flickered in my mind, but the metallic sound of hurried footsteps made me instinctively turn my head. The defense droids were right on our heels, their cold, unrelenting eyes glowing brightly.

—That’s the room! —I yelled, forcing my legs past their breaking point—. We’ll barricade ourselves inside!

We burst into the room just in time, the echo of the enemies’ footsteps flooding the hallway like an unstoppable tide.

As soon as Melena crossed the threshold, Kan shoved a heavy table against the door, the scraping sound of wood against the metal floor filling the space. Without pause, he began dragging loose machinery, anything that could add even an inch of resistance.

—Don’t waste time! —I barked, placing the girl gently in a corner before frantically searching—. There’s got to be a ventilation duct somewhere in here.

Melena was barely holding himself up, his legs trembling with every step. Yet he forced himself toward the corners, shoving consoles and scraps of machinery aside with slow, clumsy movements, desperately checking every nook and cranny.

Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Outside, the droids pounded on the door with growing intensity, each metallic strike hammering into our skulls. Kan kept reinforcing the barricade, every shove accompanied by an exhausted grunt.

At last, Melena froze, his voice trembling as much as his hands.

—There’s nothing, sir Kailen. —His words came out as a broken whisper—. I can’t believe they got it wrong.

I froze in place.

—Impossible! —The word erupted from me, more of a roar than a statement.

The truth was undeniable, even if I refused to accept it. There was no room left for miracles. This damned operation had gone further than it ever should have, but there would be no last-minute salvation, no hidden passage to save us this time.

I took a deep breath, turning slowly toward Kan. His back was pressed against the barricade, his hands gripping the edges of the door as the pounding from the other side grew stronger. He looked up at me, and to my surprise, a faint smile crossed his face.

—I’m sorry, Kan. —My voice broke, coming out as little more than a whisper.

Kan let out a snort, almost a chuckle, as his muscles remained taut, bracing against the inevitable force pressing down on us.

—Don’t worry about it —he said calmly, his voice steady despite the chaos—. It was a good run, maybe next life.