STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

doorway, voices edged with urgency and fear.

Were these things always here? Or am I just seeing them now?

As they approached a larger intersection, Lucien ’s heart slammed against his ribs. The buzz of a surveillance drone grew louder, its shadow slicing the pavement like a phantom.

Lyra raised a hand, a sharp signal for the group to stop. They pressed themselves against the wall of a building, the cold surface biting against Lucien ’s back as he held his breath.

The drone hovered overhead, its spotlight sweeping the street in a slow, deliberate arc before drifting away.

It’s a machine. It doesn’t know we’re here. It doesn’t care.

And yet, he couldn ’t shake the crawling sensation under his skin, as if the city itself were alive, watching them with unseen eyes.

“You’re fine. Keep moving.”

Her voice broke through the storm in his head. He let out his held breath and fell back in line, his steps quieter now.

***

They rounded the next corner, and there it was.

The Central Spire towered above them, piercing into the sky like a jagged spear. Its sleek, reflective surface shimmered under the moonlight, dozens of lights dotting its exterior—each marking another level, another layer of secrets buried beneath AstroSYS’s perfect facade.

Lucien felt his breath catch in his throat.

I’ve seen it a thousand times—every morning, every night, always standing there in the distance. But now... it feels different. Something alive. Something waiting to devour us.

Time stretched as they stared upward, the sheer scale of it was imposing enough, let alone the mission.

Lyra ’s voice was steady and measured. “We’re close. Stay sharp.”

Harun shifted, exhaling slowly as he glanced at Lucien. “You good?”

Lucien swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

Corin snorted from behind them. “Right. Just remember, one wrong move and we’re dead.”

Lucien turned slightly, his eyes meeting Corin ’s. “Then let’s make sure we don ’t make any.”

Corin ’s expression didn’t change, but the way he lingered before looking

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