Two ragged breaths echoed in the darkness.
The only light in the room flickered weakly from a screen, casting jagged blue lines across the cracked floor.
Aside from the uneven breaths, the only sound was the rapid staccato of typing, the frantic rhythm of desperation hammering against a keyboard.
The boy's chest tightened as his fingers flew over the keys, his mind racing ahead, calculating exit routes, contingency plans, probability shifts—but none of it mattered if the footsteps kept getting closer.
"A-" the girl beside him started, her voice barely above a whisper—
He slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Wait."
His fingers moved one last time.
A command executed.
Somewhere, something exploded.
The footsteps stopped.
A voice cursed, followed by the sound of hurried retreating steps—a small victory, but a temporary one.
The boy exhaled sharply, scanning the data on his screen.
