STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

Chapter 15

The safehouse door creaked open. Lyra slipped inside first, her eyes sweeping the dimly lit space with practiced caution before she motioned the others in.

Lucien stumbled in behind her, every step dragging with exhaustion. His shirt clung to his skin, damp with sweat, and a dull ache pulsed through his sides from the sprint through the tunnels.

Harun followed, shrugging off his bag with a groan before collapsing into the nearest chair. “Remind me to start working out again after all this is over.”

Lyra set her gear down on the table with precise, deliberate movements. She reached into Harun ’s bag and retrieved the data drive. “I’ll start going through this. ” Her tone was all business, but there was a nervousness beneath it. She glanced up, eyes sharp. “Harun, get some water. Lucien—sit down before you fall down. ”

Lucien hesitated, his fingers twitching at his sides before finally sinking onto the edge of the worn sofa. The moment he did, his head spun, fragments of the mission replaying behind his eyes —the flashing terminal lights, the Steward ’s helmet beam slicing through the dark, the cold inevitability of their pursuit.

Harun leaned back, running a hand over his forehead before exhaling a long, slow breath. “The streets are a mess. I’ve never seen so many drones out at once. Did you see the checkpoints on the main roads? ”

Lucien nodded absently, his eyes fixed on the scuffed floor. “They’re not wasting any time. It’s like they knew something was coming.”

Lyra looked up from the data drive, her brow furrowing. “They’re scared.

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