What was supposed to be a stealth mission had unraveled into something far more dangerous.
Myst crouched low behind a stack of metal crates, her breaths measured but sharp. The dim, flickering emergency lights cast jagged shadows across the narrow corridors of the transport. They were running out of time.
Nyx was right beside her, his dagger slick with the blood of the last guard he had taken down. Shade hovered near Blaze, half-supporting him, half-ready to fight the next wave that would inevitably come. Blaze, though injured, was still standing.
But not for long.
The alarms blared in their ears, a sharp, grating sound of failure. Cipher's voice cracked through the comms. "I can't keep the doors open. Fucking security's on lockdown! You've got two minutes before they close in from both sides!"
"Perfect," Nyx muttered, rolling his shoulders.
Shade's expression was grim as he kept Blaze steady. "We need an exit, now."
Myst's fingers twitched at her sides. They were trapped. The corridor ahead was sealed off, and the only way out was past the swarm of soldiers already marching toward them.
Then the walls groaned. With a resounding thud, the bulkheads on either end slammed open. Heavily armed enforcers poured in like a black tide.
They were cornered.
Myst barely had time to react before Nyx pushed her aside, dodging a stun round that cracked against the metal floor. Shade shoved Blaze behind a crate, drawing his weapon.
Then the fight exploded.
Nyx met the first soldier head-on, his blades flashing in the dim light. The impact was brutal, his dagger found a weak spot, but the soldier barely reacted, shoving him back with unnatural force.
Shade fired a quick burst, the bullets hitting center mass—no effect.
Blaze, struggling but determined, tackled an incoming guard, using his own momentum to slam the man's head into the wall.
Myst barely registered her own movements—dodging, twisting, countering—but it wasn't enough. They were being overwhelmed.
Her mind raced. This isn't normal. Her heart pounded in her ears.
She has no choice.
Then, everything slowed. Her breath hitched. Her muscles coiled, her hands trembled. Something inside her was breaking—cracking wide open.
A shift. A snap. A breaking point.
Something inside her twisted as the world sharpened, like stepping into a storm's eye where everything was eerily, violently still.
Her fingers twitched, and suddenly, everything responded.
The nearest soldiers froze mid-step, their bodies locking up as if invisible chains had coiled around them. The metal of the transport groaned. The air felt electric, crackling. Splintering.
A blue shockwave burst from Myst, sending a ripple through the air. The soldiers collapsed to their knees, clutching their heads, choking on their own screams. Lights shattered. Sparks rained.
Nyx barely had time to cover his nose, shielding himself from the storm of dust and debris. Shade stood frozen, watching as Myst moved like something otherworldly. Blaze trying to comprehend everything.
Another wave pulsed outward.
Myst's body convulsed. Electricity licking her fingertips. The air thickened around her, buzzing with something unnatural. A low hum filled the convoy.
Then, the system spoke.
'WELCOME, BLUE ROSE'
A deep, unnatural blue light bled from her irises, spreading through her veins. The energy crackling around her warped the very air.
More enforcers jerked back. Their visors flickered, signaling a system override. The drones swiveled midair, targeting their own men. Gunfire erupted. The mechanical limbs of the guards locked up, twisting unnaturally before their bodies dropped, lifeless.
Then the convoy's security bent to her will. The path to their escape was sealed shut, now opening with her command.
Cipher barely breathed, seeing the situation from his pad, along with Razor and Echo. "Holy shit…"
Blue flooded her vision, at the same time the neon color flickered around her body. Then, the weight of it all slammed into her. She swayed.
Nyx caught her.
His arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him before she collapsed entirely. "You're done, Myst. Stop. Come back."
She gasped, her hands gripping his arms, trying to ground herself but everything spun. She barely heard Razor barking orders in the distance. Barely registered the others catching up.
The scent of scorched metal filled her lungs. The air was thick with static, charged with remnants of something unnatural. And in the suffocating quiet, all Myst could hear was her own ragged breathing.
Nyx kept his hold firm, voice low but steady. "It's over. We have to go. Now."
The words barely registered.
All Myst could see, burned into her mind—was the devastation she left behind.