STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

longer. ”

Harun was already packing up his tools, ready to disconnect at a moment ’s notice. “Come on, come on...”

Another beep. Seventy percent.

Lucien wiped the sweat from his brow. His mind raced with contingency plans. What if we have to pull out early? What if we don ’t get it all?

Lyra’s voice came through, sharp and certain. “We stay until we have enough. ”

He nodded. He wasn’t sure if she was reassuring him or herself.

Another flicker of the lights. Another ripple through the cables.

Harun’s eyes darted to Lucien’s. “Almost...”

Ninety percent.

Lucien held his breath.

A distant clang echoed through the passage.

Her knife was out in an instant, her posture shifting. “We’re not alone.”

His heart pounded as the final download beeped. One hundred percent.

Harun yanked the drive free, stuffing it into his bag. “Let’s move.”

Lucien turned, his throat dry. They had what they came for. Now all they had to do was get out alive.

***

A chime echoed through the room, sharp and unnatural. A message flashed on the screen, the text burning into Lucien ’s mind: "Redirected Alert Resolved. Security Protocol Activated."

The sound of boots echoed down the maintenance passage—steady, deliberate.

Lucien ’s breath caught in his throat, his pulse hammering as the sound grew louder, reverberating through the narrow space.

Lyra raised her fist in a sharp motion, signaling for silence. She pressed herself against the wall, her eyes fixed on the entry point, muscles coiled and ready.

The boots advanced with chilling precision. A bright beam of light sliced through the darkness, a Steward’s helmet lamp cutting through the gloom like a scalpel.

Lucien stood frozen, mind racing. The Stewards are here. We ’ve been discovered. This is it. No way out.

The first Steward stepped into view, the faceless helmet scanning the room

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