STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

away told Lucien everything he needed to know. He ’s waiting for me to slip.

Lyra turned to them, her tone sharp. “This is where we split up.”

She looked at Corin. “You stay out the Spire. Keep watch and relay anything we need to know.”

Corin's lips tightened. “You’re seriously leaving me out of this?”

“Come on, Corin. We need eyes out here. You know that.”

His gaze flicked to Lucien. Lucien could feel every unspoken accusation hanging in the air. “Fine. But don’t come crying when it all goes to hell.”

Lucien ’s voice was quieter but firm. “We’ll handle it.”

He didn’t respond, instead pulling a small handheld device from his pocket and scanning the area, his fingers tense around the screen. “I’ll monitor patrol routes and give you a heads-up if anything changes. Don ’t screw this up.”

Lyra gave a single nod before motioning for Lucien and Harun to follow.

Harun smirked. “Keep the seat warm for us.”

He muttered something under his breath but didn’t move, blending into the shadows of a nearby alcove, eyes locked on the Spire.

Lucien took a deep breath as they approached the hidden service hatch. This was it.

Lyra knelt by the panel, her hands working swiftly to bypass the lock. Harun kept his eyes on the street, his breathing steady. Lucien forced himself to stay calm, the enormity of what they were about to do weighing down on him.

The lock clicked softly, and the hatch slid open with a quiet hiss.

Lyra’s voice was barely a whisper. “We’re in.”

Lucien took one last glance at the darkened street behind him, at Corin's shadowed figure darting into the side alleys.

They stepped inside.

***

The group slipped inside the maintenance hatch one by one, the stale air inside wrapping around them like a second skin. A distinct coppery taste filled Lucien's lungs, sharp and sterile, laced with the faint undercurrent of rust and something acrid—coolant, maybe, or machine oil. The walls were slick with condensation, and every surface felt unnervingly alive with the quiet sound of hidden machinery.

Lucien ’s shoulders brushed against the damp metal, the space far too narrow for comfort. His breath came in slow, measured pulls, but the anxiety

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