The air inside Vance's warehouse felt heavier after their conversation. The weight of the task ahead pressed down on Ethan like a lead blanket. His mind raced as Crowe's final words echoed in his thoughts.
"Protect the Codex, Ethan. Or the world will burn."
Now, that responsibility had dragged them toward the last place anyone sane would go.
"The Nexus," Ethan murmured under his breath, his jaw clenched.
Lena's expression was just as grim. She stood by the console, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, eyes distant as she processed everything Vance had told them.
"It's suicide," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Maybe," Ethan replied softly. "But we don't have a choice."
Lena's eyes met his, and for a brief moment, he saw the flicker of doubt in her gaze. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by the steel resolve he had come to know all too well.
"Tell me we have a plan," she said quietly.
Ethan exhaled slowly, his mind already piecing together the fragments of Crowe's memories. Maps, schematics, hidden pathways—all buried in the recesses of his mind.
"I think I know how to get in," he murmured, his gaze distant. "Crowe... he left a backdoor."
Lena's brows furrowed. "A backdoor?"
"An old service tunnel," Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It leads into the outer perimeter of the Nexus. Crowe used it when he needed to disappear."
Lena's lips pressed into a thin line. "And you're sure it's still operational?"
Ethan's jaw clenched. "It's our best shot."
Knox, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. His gaze was sharp, assessing. "The Nexus isn't like the rest of Nexara," he warned, his voice low. "It's chaos. No rules. No safety nets. Even HelixCorp doesn't go there unless they have to."
"We know," Lena said softly, her expression unreadable.
Knox's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he finally nodded. "Then you'll need these."
He moved to a storage locker near the far wall, keying in a sequence. The lock disengaged with a soft hiss, and the door swung open, revealing an arsenal of weapons and gear.
"Take what you need," Knox said, stepping aside.
Ethan's eyes scanned the cache of weapons and tech. Pulse pistols. EMP grenades. Stealth modules.
"Crowe left me something else," Knox murmured, reaching into a hidden compartment at the back of the locker.
When he turned, he held a sleek device no larger than a data pad. Its surface pulsed faintly with blue light.
"A neural inhibitor," Knox said softly, his expression grave.
Lena's eyes narrowed. "To block the Codex?"
Knox nodded. "Crowe designed it as a failsafe. If the Codex's influence becomes... too much..."
Ethan's throat tightened as he stared at the device.
"Protect the Codex, Ethan."
"Take it," Knox said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You might need it."
Ethan's fingers brushed against the cool surface of the inhibitor as he took it. A chill ran down his spine.
"Let's move," he murmured, his voice steady but laced with tension.
Lena grabbed a pulse pistol and a small satchel of EMP charges. "I'm ready."
Knox's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he spoke. "Good luck."
---
Outer Perimeter – The Nexus
The air grew colder as Ethan and Lena navigated the desolate corridors of the old service tunnel. The hum of the city faded behind them, replaced by an eerie silence that seemed to press against their ears.
Ethan's footsteps echoed softly against the rusted metal floor, his pulse pounding in his ears.
"How much further?" Lena's voice was barely above a whisper, but the tension in her tone was impossible to miss.
"Almost there," Ethan murmured, his eyes scanning the dimly lit corridor.
Crowe's memories guided him, the fragments of a life that wasn't his blending seamlessly with his own instincts.
Left at the next junction.
Down two levels.
Access hatch at the end of the corridor.
"Here," Ethan murmured, stopping in front of a rusted access panel. His fingers moved with practiced ease, inputting an override code that Crowe had buried in his subconscious.
The hatch released with a low hiss, and stale air rushed past them.
Lena's pulse pistol was already in her hand as she peered into the darkness beyond. "After you."
Ethan's jaw clenched as he stepped forward, his instincts screaming that danger was just beyond the threshold.
The tunnel opened into a vast chamber—an ancient transit hub long since forgotten by Nexara's elite. Rusted tracks stretched into the distance, disappearing into the shadows.
"The Nexus," Ethan murmured, his breath catching in his throat.
Even after years of neglect, the remnants of the district's former life clung to the walls like ghosts. Graffiti covered every surface, a chaotic symphony of warnings, symbols, and threats scrawled by those who had carved out an existence here.
"This place is worse than I remember," Lena murmured, her eyes scanning the darkness.
"Crowe was right," Ethan whispered, his voice barely audible. "No one comes here unless they have to."
A faint noise echoed in the distance—a low hum that sent a chill down Ethan's spine.
"We're not alone," Lena murmured, her grip tightening on her pistol.
Ethan's senses sharpened as Crowe's instincts surged forward. His pulse quickened, and his mind filled with fragmented memories of danger and betrayal.
"Stay close," Ethan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
They moved deeper into the Nexus, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of dust and debris that covered the ground. The air was thick with tension, every shadow a potential threat.
"Where would Mira be?" Lena asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan's mind spun, searching for answers buried in Crowe's memories.
"She'll be hiding," Ethan murmured. "Somewhere off-grid. Crowe mentioned an old safehouse..."
"Do you remember where?" Lena pressed.
Ethan's jaw clenched as another fragment of Crowe's memories surged forward.
"North sector," Ethan whispered. "Near the old data exchange."
Lena nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Then that's where we go."
They moved with practiced precision, slipping through the shadows and avoiding the prying eyes of scavengers and mercenaries who haunted the Nexus.
But as they approached the north sector, Ethan's pulse spiked.
A presence...
Not just one.
Lena froze beside him, her instincts sharp. "You feel that?"
Ethan's jaw clenched. "We're being watched."
Lena's eyes scanned the shadows, her finger poised on the trigger.
"Show yourselves," Ethan murmured, his voice calm but laced with warning.
For a moment, the silence stretched on.
Then...
A figure emerged from the darkness.
Slim. Cloaked in a tattered coat that barely concealed the assortment of weapons strapped to their frame. Their face was hidden beneath a worn hood, but the glint of cybernetic optics was unmistakable.
Ethan's breath caught.
"Welcome to the Nexus," the figure murmured, their voice smooth and laced with danger.
Lena's grip on her pistol tightened. "Friend or foe?"
The figure's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Depends on what you're looking for."
Ethan's jaw clenched.
"We're looking for Mira."
The figure's expression darkened.
"Then you're already in too deep."
Ethan's pulse pounded as the weight of the moment settled over them.
"Take us to her," Ethan murmured, his voice steady.
The figure's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before they finally nodded.
"Follow me."
Ethan's heart pounded as they slipped deeper into the darkness of the Nexus.
But he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever lay ahead...
It was only the beginning.
---