STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

Silence crackled between them like a live wire.

Darius stared at him. “You’ve changed.”

“Maybe I have,” Lucien said. “Maybe you should, too.”

His voice softened “Come back to the Bureau. We’ll figure this out together. ”

“I can’t.” Lucien’s throat tightened. “Not anymore.”

Darius’s expression closed off, his hand drifting toward his wrist device. “Then you know what I have to do.”

Lucien ’s pulse hammered. Behind Darius, a drone adjusted its position, its searchlight flaring brighter.

Lucien ’s voice dropped. “I don’t want to fight with you, but even if you report me... I won ’t stop.”

Darius hesitated. His hand resting on his device—then lowered.

His voice was quiet. Final. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Lucien didn’t respond. He turned and walked away, the moment settling over him like a storm cloud.

***

Corin stood over a map of the city, tracing a route through the industrial district with a gloved finger. His brow furrowed.

“This is where we make our move,” he murmured. “Western patrols— Steward Sector 7. We ’ve got reports that some of them are hesitating. They’re not fully aligned with the Celestial Order anymore. ”

Harun leaned over the map, skeptical. “Hesitation doesn’t mean loyalty. They ’re still part of the system. What makes you think they’ll listen to us?”

Corin shot a glance at Lyra, who stood at the edge of the table. “We’ve seen it on the streets. Some of them are looking the other way. They ’re questioning things—probably more than they’re letting on. We just need to give them a push.”

The plan was simple—but dangerous. Corin, Lucien, and Lyra would approach a Steward rumored to be wavering: Officer Jaris, Sector 7 ’s senior enforcer. Lucien ’s knowledge of AstroSYS would be their bargaining chip, offering something the Stewards couldn ’t ignore—a chance to take back control.

***

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