Time: 6:38 AM — Sublevel Theta-9: The Garden Gate
The room erupted into chaos.
Ashwalker's figure loomed in the dim light, a behemoth of fused armor and burning vents, moving with unnatural speed despite the weight of his mechanical form. His scorched weapon dragged behind him, trailing sparks like an omen of death. He stepped forward, his movements slow but deliberate, as if savoring the moment. His weapon—a jagged blade of some unknown alloy—glowed faintly, a harbinger of the hell it could unleash.
"Fall back!" Miura's voice cut through the sound of clashing weapons and screeching metal. She darted toward the entrance, her rifle ready, eyes scanning for the next threat. "This whole place is going to collapse!"
Ryoji didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Aiko by the arm, pulling her toward the exit with a force that made her stumble slightly. Her pulse was a drumbeat in her chest, the strange energy within her swirling and pulling at her senses.
The others were already moving, too. Kane and Zhenya sprinted for the hatch, covering the rear with quick, accurate shots that kept the advancing soldiers at bay. But Ashwalker wasn't slowed. His heavy steps came like the sound of thunder, each one vibrating through the floor.
"We don't have much time," Zhenya grunted, barely able to suppress the panic in her voice. "Get to the damn exit now!"
Ryoji could see the door—just a few meters away—but the soldiers were closing in, their weapons aimed with cold precision. Their movements were eerily synchronized, as though they had rehearsed this moment for decades. They were not human anymore. Not in the way Aiko had once hoped for.
Aiko's eyes locked on the Seed, standing at the center of the room, her expression unchanged. She said nothing as the others fled, her gaze unwavering. But Aiko could feel the weight of her presence, the strange connection pulling at her like a tether.
Ryoji jerked Aiko forward again, his hand tightening around her wrist as he pulled her toward the maintenance shaft. "Aiko! Now!" His voice was sharp, the urgency clear.
The group didn't hesitate. They bolted, sprinting for the narrow escape route. Behind them, the floor trembled with the roar of the garden, an ominous sound that shook the very foundation of the chamber.
"Aiko, you're gonna have to hold it together!" Miura shouted, her voice urgent but strained. "We need you to focus. The garden's alive, and it's not going to let us leave without a fight."
Aiko felt the weight of her power intensifying, her body thrumming with something ancient. It felt like the garden was calling to her, coaxing her back, urging her to turn around. You are the Bloom. You are the Seed's key.
But she couldn't—wouldn't—go back. Not yet. Not while Ashwalker was so close, and not while the world beyond the garden was waiting for them.
They reached the hatch and scrambled up, hands clawing at the rough surface as they hoisted themselves through. Ryoji was first, his gaze flicking over his shoulder for any signs of pursuit. Kane and Zhenya followed closely, then Miura, with Aiko last.
The moment Aiko cleared the shaft, she felt a sudden, sharp pain in her chest, like a pressure building in her ribs. It was the Seal—its power surging, pulling at her from deep within. She stumbled, her vision blurring for a moment. But Ryoji was there, catching her arm before she could fall.
"Aiko! Stay with me!" he said, his voice low but urgent.
She nodded, shaking off the dizziness. There was no time for weakness, not with the storm raging behind them. They needed to get out of the sector, and fast.
Ahead of them, the outskirts of the town loomed, the crumbling remnants of a once-bustling industrial district now abandoned. Buildings were smoldering, wrecked by the earlier skirmishes between Division Zero forces and rebel factions. The ground was littered with debris, shattered glass, and twisted metal.
The group sprinted through the ruined streets, their footsteps echoing in the eerie quiet, broken only by the distant hum of engines and the wail of sirens. The landscape was a graveyard of what was once a thriving metropolis.
"We can't stay here long," Miura said, her voice clipped, eyes darting around as if expecting the next attack. "We need to make it to the extraction point before they catch up."
"Aiko, what's the deal with that Seal on your hand?" Kane asked, glancing at her. "What's it doing? You're not just some freak prototype—they were waiting for you. What's the connection?"
Aiko's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't forgotten the Seal—the strange, intricate symbol that had been imprinted on her skin the moment she was born. But she didn't have answers. Not yet. "I don't know," she said, her voice tight. "But it's… it's waking up. I can feel it."
Ryoji's eyes narrowed. "Whatever it is, we don't have time to figure it out right now. We need to keep moving."
Ahead, the road curved into an open area, leading out of the sector. It was their only route to safety, but the further they ran, the more Aiko could feel it. The pull. The constant tug of the Seed's influence. Her connection to the garden was undeniable, and it was becoming harder to ignore.
Suddenly, the sharp crack of gunfire split the air.
"Down!" Miura shouted, throwing herself to the ground. A hail of bullets zipped overhead, ricocheting off the walls around them. It was coming from a nearby rooftop—a sniper.
"They're here," Ryoji muttered under his breath, pulling Aiko down behind the cover of a wrecked car.
Ashwalker's footsteps thundered behind them, the sound of his approach unmistakable.
"Take them out!" Zhenya shouted, raising her rifle. She fired, her shots quick and calculated, but the sniper was fast, ducking behind cover just as she hit her mark.
"We don't have much time before they send reinforcements," Kane growled, his hand on the grip of his axe. "We need to move—now."
Aiko's pulse throbbed in her veins, her vision sharpening. The Seal—it was reacting again, pulsing like a second heartbeat. She felt it—a surge of power, of knowledge, just on the edge of her mind.
The ground beneath them trembled once more, and a shadow fell over the street. Ashwalker had found them.
Aiko looked up, her hand instinctively reaching for the Seal on her palm. She could feel it. The key to their survival—if she could unlock it.
"Aiko!" Ryoji shouted, breaking her from her thoughts. "We need to get out of here!"
She glanced at him, determination hardening in her chest. "I'm not running anymore."
And with that, the storm inside her unleashed.
To be continued... Chapter 45.....