STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

“We don’t have time to debate it. Move.”

They pushed forward.

Lucien ’s mind reeled. What am I doing here?

Lyra ’s voice came through again, softer this time. “We’re almost there.”

Lucien nodded, forcing himself to believe it.

Another flicker in the lights. Another subtle tremor in the cables along the walls.

***

The terminal came into view.

Nestled in an alcove at the end of the passage, it was smaller than Lucien expected—a sleek panel built flush into the wall, a lit access port waiting for them. It looked untouched, forgotten. But they all knew better.

Harun dropped to one knee, his fingers already working as he pulled out a bundle of tools. “This is it. Give me a minute to get it online.”

Lucien hung back, forcing himself to stay focused, but his eyes kept flicking toward the passage behind them.

Lyra took her position near the entry point, relaxed on the surface, but Lucien could sense the tension coiled beneath. “We’ve come too far without a hitch,” she murmured. “It won’t last.”

Lucien swallowed, nodding. No. It never does.

Harun muttered under his breath, fingers flying over the small keypad as the screen came to life. Lines of unfamiliar code scrolled rapidly, filling the screen with data streams and network access logs.

Lucien stepped closer, his breath catching in his throat. This is it. AstroSYS’s heart, right here in front of us.

But it felt... wrong.

The terminal’s interface was familiar—the same one he had worked with for years in the Bureau—but in this context, deep in the Spire, it seemed alien. I know what’s hiding in this machine now. Knowing doesn’t make it less terrifying.

Harun ’s voice broke his thoughts. “System’s sluggish. This terminal’s ancient.” He frowned, adjusting a few settings. “They must’ve phased it out years ago ”

Lyra shot a glance back at them. “How long?”

Harun didn ’t look up. “A few minutes. Maybe more.”

The seconds stretched painfully, each one dragging on and on and on. The

123