STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

Lucien hesitated.

The golden light. The voice from the dream.

"You opened the way."

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I think we have to try.”

***

The rebels moved with purpose, discussing logistics, securing weapons, running last-minute checks.

Aarik spoke first. “We sweep the location twice before they arrive. If anything feels off, we pull the plug.”

Selene added, “We’ll need an extraction plan. Aarik and I will cover the exits, but the longer we stay exposed, the higher the risk.”

Lyra paced. “We need to control the narrative. If Caidan is legit, we can’t look desperate. And if he’s lying...”

Her voice trailed off.

The meaning was clear.

Harun, sitting at the edge of the table, tapped a pen against his knuckles. “Then we do what we always do. Improvise.”

Corin shot him a glare. “This isn’t a joke, Harun. If this goes sideways, we’re all dead.”

Lucien studied the others. They were right to be cautious.

But this was their only shot to stop the Order without burning the whole city down...

“We have to go.”

The room stilled.

All eyes turned to him.

“If we don’t, they’ll use it against us. They’ll say we’re cowards, that we’re anarchists with no vision. We have to show them we’re serious.”

Lyra studied him. Then she nodded. “Alright.”

She turned to the others. “Aarik, Selene—lock down the location. Harun, you ’re on comms. Corin—” she smirked, “try not to kill anyone.”

“No promises.”

Lucien glanced at the holographic map on the table, the meeting point now marked.

The pieces were in motion.

***

195