STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

conversation ended instantly, and all eyes snapped to him.

Corin’s glare was sharp enough to cut glass. Lyra stood beside him, unreadable, while Harun watched from the shadows, silent and calculating.

“Speak of the devil.”

Lucien swallowed hard. “I’m not a spy.”

“That’s exactly what a spy would say.” Corin’s smirk didn’t waver.

A sharp look from Lyra silenced him before she turned to Lucien. “If he were, he wouldn ’t look so scared.”

The skepticism didn’t fade. Corin gestured to the room around them. “Then why is he here? What could someone like him possibly offer us? ”

Lucien opened his mouth, but Lyra spoke first. “He knows the system better than any of us. He works inside it. If anyone can help us expose the truth, it’s him.”

“And what makes you think he even wants to help?” Corin's voice carried a sharp edge.

Lucien glanced at Lyra then Corin. “I’m not here to join your rebellion. I just... want to know the truth.”

A bitter laugh escaped Corin as he pushed away from the table. “The truth? Let me tell you the truth, Lucien. What you work for is broken. It’s not only a lie —it’s a weapon. And every day you sit at your little console, you’re helping them wield it. ”

The words cut deep, sharper than Lucien expected. “I didn’t know.”

His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t want to know. There’s a difference.”

Tension crackled in the air. Lyra stepped between them, her voice calm but firm. “That’s enough. He’s here now, and that’s what matters.”

She turned back to Lucien. “You wanted the truth. We can show you. But it comes with a price. ”

His stomach clenched. “What kind of price?”

“The next step is dangerous.” Her voice softened. “We need access to data —files that could prove everything we’ve been saying about AstroSYS. Without them, we ’re just graffiti on the walls.”

“You want me to hack into the Bureau archives?”

“You said you wanted to know the truth. This is how we find it.”

Lucien raked a hand through his hair, the pressure mounting. “This is insane. If I get caught, I’ll lose everything.”

Corin threw up his hands. “Then leave. Go back to your perfect little life. Pretend none of this ever happened. But don’t come crying to us when the system turns on you. ”

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