The facility breathed around them. Not in the way a living thing would, but in a way that sent a hum through the walls, a pulse through the floor—like it was aware of their presence.
Kiera and her team slipped through the corridors like shadows, moving with controlled urgency. Every turn, every doorway, was a calculated risk. The walls weren't just barriers; they were sensors, watching, waiting.
Aerin led the way, her wrist display pulsing with live security feeds. "We're clear for now, but patrol shifts in five minutes. We need to move."
They pressed on, hugging the edges of the corridor, keeping to the blind spots. The further they went, the more Kiera felt the air change—denser, charged. The Architects' presence was woven into every inch of this place.
They reached the first security junction. A reinforced steel door loomed ahead, marked with a single glowing sigil—the Architects' insignia, a symbol of control.
Aerin crouched beside the panel, fingers flying over her interface. "Three-tier encryption. If I break through too fast, it'll trigger a lockdown."
Kiera's pulse quickened. Time was their enemy. "Can you bypass it?"
Aerin smirked, already working. "Give me thirty seconds."
Behind them, Rhys kept watch, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp. "Drones incoming. Two of them."
Kiera stiffened. "Can we divert them?"
"Not without raising suspicion."
Seconds dragged. The distant hum of the drones grew louder, an artificial whine that set Kiera's nerves on edge.
"Hurry, Aerin."
"Almost—" A soft beep. The lock clicked open.
Kiera didn't hesitate. She pushed through, the others following close behind. The door sealed shut just as the drones swept past, their mechanical whirring fading into the distance.
For now, they were ghosts.
Eastern Wing.
Marek and Elyndra moved with the same efficiency, their path a mirror image of Kiera's team.
"They're shifting patrols early," Elyndra whispered, scanning the nearest security feed. "They know something's off."
Marek pressed against the wall, eyes narrowed. "Not enough to sound the alarm. But enough to make our job harder."
They approached a restricted access point—a security console wired directly into the facility's surveillance system. If they could get inside, they could manipulate the feed, create blind spots.
Elyndra crouched, pulling a small data spike from her belt. "I can buy us a window. Thirty seconds of blackout."
Marek nodded. "Do it."
The spike connected with a faint click, and the screen flickered. For half a minute, the cameras would see nothing but empty halls.
"Move," Marek ordered.
They slipped into the next corridor, silent, unseen.
Command Level.
Kiera's team reached the core of the facility—a massive chamber lined with control terminals, glowing with streams of data. This was it. The beating heart of the Architects' surveillance network.
Aerin's eyes gleamed. "We get into that system, we'll know everything. Patrol routes, reinforcements, even hidden facilities."
Kiera stepped forward, but something made her stop.
The air was wrong.
Rhys tensed. "Do you feel that?"
Then—
A voice, smooth as silk and sharp as glass, cut through the room.
"You shouldn't be here."
The screens flickered. A figure emerged from the static—a face not quite human, eyes empty yet aware.
The Architects knew they were here.
And now, there was no turning back.