The air in the ruined city was thick with the smell of decay, of burning remnants and ash. The once-bustling streets were now nothing more than silent witnesses to destruction. Broken glass crunched beneath their boots as August, Sabrina, and Cara moved cautiously down the narrow street.

Every step felt like it could be their last.

August’s system hummed softly in his ear, guiding them through the streets. It was an eerie kind of comfort, this constant stream of data and direction, but there was something unsettling about relying so heavily on the technology. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of betrayal by the system—his only ally, and yet, it had shown him just how easily it could manipulate them. How easily it could betray them.

“Stay close,” August whispered, his eyes scanning the area. They had learned long ago that silence was their best weapon—silent, deadly, and quick. They couldn’t afford to make a sound.

Sabrina nodded, her face pale from exhaustion. Her eyes were bloodshot, but her determination remained unbroken. She had changed since they had found her, since everything had spiraled out of control. She was sharper now, more focused—more willing to fight for something beyond survival.

Cara, on the other hand, was quieter than usual. Her expression was tight with anger, frustration, and grief, but she hid it well. Too well. August could see it in the stiff set of her jaw, in the way she moved. She had taken Lara’s death the hardest. And now they were here, in the heart of enemy territory, moving ever closer to Marcos and the truth about the virus.

August clenched his fists. It has to end. Soon.

They had been making their way toward the central district, where Marcos had set up shop—an old government building, fortified with barriers, drones, and who knew what else. His system had detected an entire network of traps set throughout the city, traps that Marcos’s forces had carefully placed to ensure no one reached him.

They had no choice but to keep moving.

And August’s system was their only guide.

“According to the map,” August said quietly, his voice low enough to avoid drawing attention, “we’re getting close. The central building is just ahead. But we need to be careful. Marcos’s forces have set traps everywhere.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed as she glanced up at the street ahead. “What kind of traps?”

“Electrified barriers, explosives, you name it,” August replied, his fingers dancing across the air in front of him as his system worked its magic. He could feel the heat of the city, the subtle hum of power lines, the minute vibrations in the ground. His system was designed to read these things—to identify threats before they could strike. But even that didn’t guarantee safety. They’d already been lucky so far.

“Great,” Cara muttered, her voice sharp. “Just what we need.”

“You’re not wrong,” August said, trying to lighten the mood, though it didn’t come out as intended. He turned back to his system, pulling up a detailed map of the area. “We’ll be fine. I’ve got the route.”

He heard a sharp intake of breath from Sabrina. She was staring at something just beyond him, her face suddenly pale. He turned to look but saw nothing out of the ordinary—a few abandoned cars, some half-destroyed buildings.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Over there,” Sabrina said, pointing toward a building to their right. “I think I saw something moving.”

August tensed. His system didn’t show any immediate threat, but it had missed things before.

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“Stay low,” he ordered, already stepping into a crouch. “We keep moving. Keep your eyes open.”

The group moved forward cautiously, every step calculated. August kept his hand near the gun strapped to his side, ready for whatever might come. They had been trained to expect the worst, to assume that danger was always lurking just around the corner.

The sound of crackling static came through the comms, followed by a warning from the system.

Warning: New threat detected. Explosive minefield ahead.

August stopped dead in his tracks, his heart leaping into his throat.

“How far?” he asked quickly.

300 meters ahead. Avoid detection at all costs.

“Crap,” Cara muttered. “We’re dead if we try to cross that.”

“I can get us through,” August said, though the words didn’t feel as confident as he wanted them to. “Just keep moving.”

They continued to move forward, but every step felt like a misstep. The tension was unbearable. Each of them could feel the weight of the threat hanging over them—the trap that lay ahead, the minefield that would turn them to dust if they weren’t careful.

August’s eyes flicked back to his system, following the directions, following the map, but even that couldn’t completely quell the unease building in his gut.

He had hacked into Marcos’s communications before, but that hadn’t been easy. Every time he pushed further, the system had become more erratic—less predictable. And the more it had upgraded, the more it had started to feel like it had a mind of its own.

They reached the edge of the alleyway, and August held up a hand to signal the group to stop. He dropped to a crouch again, his fingers flying over the interface of his system as he pulled up the minefield map. A faint hum in his ear told him the system was working.

He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath. The tension had become unbearable. The weight of what they were facing—the danger, the loss, the fear that gnawed at the edges of their minds—had never felt so heavy.

Finally, the map shifted.

The mines were laid out in a pattern, an intricate web of explosives that stretched across the street ahead. August could feel the faint pulse of energy radiating from the ground. His system had identified the safe path—a thin line of clear ground between the explosive devices. It was a calculated risk, but it was the only path they had.

“I’ve got it,” August said, his voice steady. “We’ll follow the path on the map. Step where I step.”

He moved first, carefully placing one foot in front of the other, keeping his gaze fixed on the system’s readout. The map illuminated the safe path in green. Every step was measured, deliberate. He could hear Sabrina and Cara following behind him, but he didn’t dare glance back. He couldn’t afford to lose focus now.

Another step. Then another.

His heartbeat thundered in his chest as he focused, sweat beading on his forehead. One wrong move, and the entire block would explode.

A loud, screeching sound echoed in the distance. It was far away, but it was enough to send a wave of dread through August. He glanced up quickly, trying to locate the source of the noise.

Nothing. Just the hollow silence of a city long abandoned.

But the tension wasn’t easing. In fact, it only seemed to increase with every passing second.

“Almost there,” August muttered, his voice barely audible. He was so close to the end of the minefield, so close to safety.

Suddenly, his system let out a shrill warning.

Warning: Marcos’s forces detected. Fatality probability: 100% if you proceed.

August froze.

“What?” Cara whispered harshly, but he didn’t respond immediately. He was staring at the system’s display, his heart pounding in his chest.

Warning: Marcos detected. 100% fatality rate if you proceed.

The words echoed in his mind, over and over again. Fatality rate. 100%.

He looked at the map again, searching for some explanation, some clue. But there was no error—no indication that the path wasn’t safe. The mines were still ahead, but they were now out of range.

But the system had given him an impossible choice.

Proceed, and die.

Or turn back, and risk everything.

He turned slowly to Sabrina and Cara. Both of them were looking at him, confusion and concern clear in their eyes.

“What’s going on?” Sabrina asked, her voice tight with worry.

“I don’t know,” August replied, his voice thick with uncertainty. “But we can’t move forward without risking death.”

The silence between them was deafening.

And then, a faint sound. A low hum. It wasn’t from the mines.

It was from a drone, hovering above them.

They had no choice.