Akhaqia's pulse quickened as the room was swallowed by darkness. They found it, he thought, heart pounding in his chest. It had to be them.
The sudden lurch of the track lance sent everyone stumbling forward, but Akhaqia had anticipated the movement. Having grabbed onto a sturdy crate while the guards were distracted, he remained steady as others were thrown off balance. His mind raced, analyzing the chaos around him. Was it Adinim or Huia? He couldn't tell yet, but whoever it was, they had succeeded.
A cold voice broke through the tension. "Do you think this will save you?" Muntiqi's words echoed through the silence, sharp with venom. His footsteps were deliberate, each one resonating off the metallic floor. "You can't hide forever."
Akhaqia didn't respond. He pressed his back against the wall, the familiar weight of the track lance's power humming under his fingertips. His senses heightened as he crouched lower, eyes flicking around for any sign of movement. The metallic hum of dark energy felt like a pulse beneath his skin—dangerous, but now his. It's mine now.
A flicker in the dark had Akhaqia spinning on his heels, his eyes struggling to adjust. The room loomed large, the scattered crates and machinery forming jagged silhouettes. He shifted silently, his boots barely grazing the floor, staying low as he moved.
A sudden hum tore through the air. Akhaqia froze, heart racing as a blade of blue light appeared inches from his face. Muntiqi's cold gaze met his in the dark, the energy of the blade crackling with power.
"I'll ask you one last time," Muntiqi said, raising the glowing blade threateningly. "Surrender the book."
Akhaqia clenched his jaw, fighting the instinct to flinch as the cold steel hovered near him. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, but he didn't let it show. "Funny," he said, his voice steady despite the pounding in his chest, "I didn't think the Empire negotiated with thieves."
Muntiqi's lip curled in contempt. "We don't."
Without warning, he lunged.
Akhaqia twisted just in time, the blade slicing through the air where he'd been a second earlier. His pulse hammered in his ears as he ducked behind a stack of crates, the glowing blue light and the hum of power lingering as a constant reminder of how close death had come. One misstep, and that blade would end him.
A distant explosion echoed, followed by shouts. Akhaqia's heart skipped a beat. Adinim? Huia? Please, let it be them.
Muntiqi didn't falter, his voice cutting through the noise like a whip. "You're out of your depth, boy." He circled the crates, moving with a predator's patience, searching for a mistake.
Akhaqia's fingers brushed the small smoke bomb at his belt. It was a last resort—meant for escape. But now, it might be his only option. Slowly, carefully, he gripped it, drawing a sliver of energy into it. The glyph glowed faintly, ready to trigger.
With a swift motion, he smashed the bomb onto the floor. A hiss erupted as thick, choking smoke poured from it, swirling around them both. Without waiting for Muntiqi's response, Akhaqia bolted, weaving through the labyrinth of crates and machinery.
He spotted something, a glimmer of hope—the ledger. He grabbed it, clutching it tightly against his chest, praying the guard would mistake it for the book they had stolen earlier.
He barely made it a few steps before a sharp pain seared through his shoulder. He gasped, stumbling, but managed to keep moving. He looked down, seeing the faintest trace of blue light cutting through his flesh. Muntiqi was getting closer.
"You can't outrun me," Muntiqi called, irritation lacing his voice. "You're only making this harder on yourself."
Akhaqia's thoughts swirled. Blood dripped down his arm, warm and sticky. He gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain. He couldn't afford to slow down now.
Then, the voice he'd been hoping for crackled through his earpiece.
"Akhaqia, are you alive?" Huia's voice, strained but alive, filled his ear. Akhaqia let out a shaky breath, relief flooding him.
"Barely," Akhaqia hissed, ducking behind a column. "Where are you?"
"We're done. You need to get here now," Huia responded.
Akhaqia's chest tightened. Thank the gods. He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "On my way."
His eyes darted around, the smoke beginning to thin. Muntiqi's silhouette was closing in, and Akhaqia didn't have time to think. He yanked the ledger from his chest and hurled it toward the far corner of the room, hoping to throw Muntiqi off.
But the soldier was relentless. Akhaqia stumbled forward, his shoulder screaming in protest. He couldn't outrun Muntiqi for much longer.
Then, a sliver of hope. He rounded a corner and saw it—the exit. The door to the track lance was open, the cool moonlight spilling in. It's my way out.
With a final burst of energy, he pushed forward, ignoring the pain and the blood that stained his shirt. He didn't look back.
"Huia!" Akhaqia shouted, voice raw and breathless.
"Here!" came Adinim's voice from the door, his hands poised over glowing runes. "Hurry up, we're out of time!"
Akhaqia didn't need to be told twice. With a surge of adrenaline, he dove for the door just as Muntiqi rounded the corner behind him.
The soldier raised his blade, but before he could strike, Adinim slammed his hands onto the runes. A wave of electric energy surged through the air, flickering lights springing to life along the track lance as the system powered back up.
Adinim didn't wait to look back.
The blast from the energy erupted, propelling Akhaqia forward as the track lance rocketed into motion. He hit the ground hard, gasping for air as the ringing in his ears filled his mind.
Huia's hands were on him in an instant, pulling him to his feet, steadying him as his legs wobbled.
Before Muntiqi could follow, the track lance's systems whirred to life, and the door slammed shut with a finality that sent Akhaqia's heart soaring. They were safe. For now.