The sound of boots clanking echoed down the maintenance shaft as Huia, Adinim, and Akhaqia scrambled to devise a plan of attack, facing their impending doom. The dim light flickered ominously, casting unsettling shadows on the walls; with each step of the approaching soldiers, those shadows grew larger, making the already tight space feel even more suffocating. The sound of boots growing louder sent a chill down Huia's spine.
"What now?" Akhaqia hissed, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto the faint shimmer of motion sensors ahead. Huia's golden eye pulsed faintly, almost in rhythm with the energy vibrating through the air. For a moment, his thoughts drifted back to a conversation a year ago about this heist—and how it would succeed if he followed every step of the plan.
He vividly remembered sitting with Argent Forty-Seven, studying the meticulously crafted blueprint for the operation. At the time, Argent's voice had been steady but authoritative. "Do you think I'm ready for this?" Akhaqia had asked, doubt lacing his words.
Without hesitation, Argent had assured him, "I've already laid everything out. If you follow the plan to the letter, you'll be fine—better than fine, honestly."
Then, Argent had laid two photographs on the table—one of Adinim and one of Huia. "You'll need one of them for this," he'd said, tapping the photos. "It would be smart to start working with them before bringing them into this mission. But why both?" Akhaqia had asked, furrowing his brow.
Argent had smirked. "You don't need both, but you need one of them. The other one? Think of it as an extra. It's better to have both, though, since they always stick together."
Akhaqia snapped out of his memories, his mind refocusing on the present danger. It was then that Adinim's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Akhaqia! What the hell? This is your plan. Why are you zoning out? What do we do now? Everything's falling apart!" Adinim was trying to stay still, keeping his expression neutral as he carefully avoided triggering the motion sensors.
Akhaqia didn't respond immediately. The sound of boots grew louder, and Adinim's frustration mounted, his voice rising. "What now? The plan didn't include this! What's happening?" The buzz of the motion sensors and the clanking boots were abruptly interrupted by Adinim's outburst.
His eyes shifted between Akhaqia and Huia, both tense and waiting for a response.
But Akhaqia remained still, his eyes fixed on the motion sensors in front of them. Moving past them would alert the guards to their position—just like the alarm likely triggered earlier by Huia. His lips pressed into a thin line as his mind worked furiously for a solution.
Adinim's impatience reached its peak. "We don't have time for this!" he growled, stepping closer to Akhaqia and grabbing his arm, trying to snap him out of his daze. "They're almost here!"
Huia intervened, stepping between them, his golden eye flickering with energy. "Adinim, he's thinking. Let him think."
Adinim shook his head in frustration. "We don't need thinking right now; we need action! If he doesn't speak up in the next ten seconds, we'll be locked up as prisoners on the road to execution."
That comment snapped Akhaqia out of his trance. He looked up, his voice calm but urgent. "Use the ventilation ducts—now."
"The vents?" Adinim frowned. "We'll be sitting ducks if they catch on."
"It's this or we trip the sensors," Akhaqia replied, his gaze steady despite the chaos. "I don't think they'll catch on."
Without waiting for a response, Akhaqia moved quickly, prying open the wall panel to reveal a narrow duct barely wide enough to crawl through."You go first, Huia. To scout ahead, use your sight. Cover our departure, Adinim. I'll close the panel after us.
The echoes were loud, and the clanking feet were now dangerously near. After a little pause, Huia climbed into the duct, his golden eyes scanning their surroundings and becoming brighter.
In a desperate attempt to hold up the soldiers, Adinim took a homemade explosive from his pouch and prepared to connect it to the shaft entrance. His words were, "This better not get us all killed."
Akhaqia looked at him, his face fixed on his. "It won't. But if it does, make sure they remember who caused the bigger mess."
Adinim snorted, shaking his head as he began rigging the explosive, keeping his movements slow and cautious. With the device set, he gave one last glance at the growing shadows that accompanied the approaching soldiers before waiting for Huia's feedback.
Huia muttered back into the vent, "It's tight, but it's clear so far. Stay near.
After crawling inside the duct with Adinim, Akhaqia used a magnetic lock to secure the panel behind them. As they went farther into the vent, the little glimmers of light from Huia's eye trailed down the metal walls.
The sounds of boots stopped abruptly, replaced by muffled voices just outside the sealed panel.
Adinim hissed, "They're here. What now?"
Akhaqia paused mid-crawl, glancing back. "Now we stick to the plan—what's left of it, anyway."
Huia whispered, "And if it doesn't work?"
Akhaqia's lips curled into a faint, defiant smile. "Then we improvise. But trust me—it'll work."
The muffled voices grew louder, followed by the sound of something heavy slamming against the sealed panel. The soldiers weren't giving up easily.
Akhaqia clenched his fists, feeling the weight of years of preparation bearing down on him. This was it—the moment that would define everything. He could only hope the pieces he had so carefully assembled would hold together long enough to see them through.
Ahead, Huia's golden eye flickered, signaling a stop. "There's a junction up ahead—two paths. Which way?"
Akhaqia didn't hesitate. "Right. Always right."
The team moved as one, their breaths shallow, their movements deliberate. Every inch forward felt like a mile, every creak of the vent like a thunderclap.
Behind them, the pursuit faded, replaced by the distant hum of machinery.
Huia exhaled softly. "I think we lost them."
"Don't get comfortable," Akhaqia warned. "This is just the start. The hardest part is yet to come."
Adinim let out a bitter laugh. "This isn't the hard part? What the hell have we been doing, then?"
Akhaqia glanced back, his expression unreadable. "Surviving. But if we play this right, we'll be doing a lot more than that soon enough."
The group pressed on, the narrow vent stretching endlessly ahead. Behind them, the echoes of their pursuers faded, but the tension in the air remained heavy. This was far from over.
Akhaqia reflected on the unfolding chaos. The first part of the plan had gone awry—Huia had found the book and escaped faster than expected, triggering the alarm prematurely and derailing their original timing. But amid the chaos, they had managed to slip into the vent, hoping to make it to step two. Everything now depended on the success of the next phase.
He muttered to himself, "Well, there's no going back now," crossing his fingers and mentally bracing himself for whatever came next.