Ethan's boots crunched softly against gravel as he and Lena approached the edge of the city. The glow of Nexara's skyline pulsed in the distance, a shimmering web of neon stretching across the horizon. But here, where the lights faded and the world grew quieter, the air felt... heavier.
Lena's eyes scanned the surroundings, her hand hovering near the small pulse pistol strapped to her hip. She was always cautious, but tonight, her movements were sharper—more deliberate.
"Coordinates say it's just up ahead," Lena murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan nodded, his jaw clenched. The weight of Crowe's memories was pressing down harder with every step. The flashes weren't just fragments anymore—they were... bleeding through. He could feel the cold steel of the lab under his fingertips. The acrid scent of burnt circuits. The low hum of machines processing data at impossible speeds.
"Ethan," Lena said softly, breaking through his thoughts.
He blinked, realizing he had stopped walking. His fingers were curled into fists, knuckles white.
"You good?" she asked, concern flickering in her eyes.
"Yeah," Ethan lied, forcing himself to move forward. "Just... processing."
Lena didn't push, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer. She could read him too well.
As they moved deeper into the outskirts, the world around them grew... silent. Too silent. No hover-cars humming in the distance. No ambient chatter from the city's underbelly. Just the quiet buzz of their steps and the faint rustle of wind through rusted metal.
"Here." Lena stopped, crouching beside a cluster of weathered metal pylons. She tapped her wrist console, projecting a faint holographic grid over the ground.
Ethan knelt beside her, his eyes narrowing. The grid illuminated faint outlines beneath the dirt—old infrastructure, long abandoned.
"Sub-level access," Lena murmured. "Crowe's coordinates lead right here."
Ethan's pulse quickened. His mind flashed back to one of the visions—a corridor lined with flickering lights, the sound of footsteps echoing down cold steel floors. This was the place.
Lena ran her fingers along the edge of the ground, searching for a trigger mechanism. "Come on... where's the—"
Clink.
A subtle shift beneath her fingertips. A panel hissed softly, releasing an ancient lock. The ground vibrated as a hidden hatch slid open, revealing a dark passageway descending into the earth.
Ethan stared into the void, the stale air wafting up sending a chill down his spine.
"Crowe was here," he murmured, the words barely leaving his lips.
Lena glanced at him. "How do you know?"
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Because I've... been here."
The look she gave him was laced with worry, but she didn't question it. Not now.
"Let's move," she said quietly, drawing her pulse pistol. "I don't like how quiet it is."
Ethan followed her lead, the weight of the past pressing down harder with each step. The echoes were stronger now, pulling him deeper into Crowe's final memories. But there was something else.
A warning.
Something was waiting for them below.
As they descended into the darkness, the hatch hissed shut behind them, sealing them in.
"Too easy," Ethan whispered under his breath.
Lena's eyes flicked toward him. "What?"
Ethan's grip on his pulse blade tightened.
"They're already here."
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