The alarms screamed to life, their high-pitched wail reverberating through the entire facility.
Flashing red lights bathed the Core Room in an ominous glow, casting long, sharp shadows across the walls.
Irfan Shah didn't need to look to know what was coming.
Behind him, Aina Farisha was already moving—her knife drawn, ready for anything. She trusted Irfan to lead, as he always did, but this time, they were both running on instinct.
The agents from PHALANX had found them.
Irfan's prosthetic eye flashed as LUCIA activated a new set of scans, mapping the layout of the facility.
"Movement detected. Three tactical teams closing in from the west and east corridors."
His heart raced, but his movements remained steady.
"Aina, we need to move fast. There's a back exit we can reach through the east wing. It's our best chance."
Aina didn't need a second invitation.
She nodded and bolted toward the emergency door on the opposite side of the Core Room.
Irfan followed, every step echoing in the chaos behind them.
The sound of their pursuers grew louder as they sprinted down the hall.
The tight corridors blurred past, each turn bringing them closer to the exit—but also closer to the agents.
"Hurry up!" Aina hissed as she turned a corner, looking back over her shoulder.
Irfan didn't answer.
His mind raced through possibilities, looking for a way out, analyzing every movement, every noise.
"Backup power still active." LUCIA's calm voice was a grounding force.
"Power to auxiliary airlock systems coming online."
But before they could reach it, the sound of boots pounding the floor stopped them in their tracks.
A sharp breath filled the space between them.
A figure appeared from the shadows at the end of the hallway.
Black tactical armor. Visor lowered. Guns raised.
"Freeze!" the agent commanded, voice muffled behind the helmet.
Aina reacted instinctively.
Without a moment's hesitation, she launched herself toward the agent, closing the distance faster than he could react.
CRACK!
The knife found its mark, slicing through the agent's arm with swift precision, disarming him in the process.
Before the man could recover, Aina spun around, throwing a quick elbow to his chest. The agent staggered, but didn't fall.
"Go!" Aina shouted to Irfan as she pushed the agent back with a brutal shove.
Irfan didn't need to be told twice.
He bolted toward the open passage at the end of the hall.
But as he reached the corner, another agent appeared—this one faster, more prepared.
A shot rang out.
The sound was deafening.
Irfan ducked, the bullet narrowly missing his shoulder.
He pivoted on his heel, narrowly avoiding another round.
"Aina, now!" he yelled.
Aina, still fighting with the first agent, saw the incoming threat and dove toward Irfan.
Together, they scrambled into the next hallway, where they sprinted toward the narrow maintenance ladder that would take them out of the facility.
They had to move fast—their window was closing.
⸻
In the control room behind them, PHALANX's lead agent barked orders into the comms system.
"They're not getting away. We'll have them cornered by the airlock. Proceed with extreme caution."
The pursuit was on, but Irfan and Aina were already a step ahead.
They didn't have much time.
Racing through the maintenance tunnels, they reached a final set of doors—metallic, heavy, but the only way out.
With a quick swipe of his wrist, Irfan accessed the manual override, forcing the doors open.
They slipped through, just as another agent rounded the corner.
"Out!" Aina shouted, helping Irfan slide down the last ladder.
The sound of boots behind them echoed louder than ever.
Irfan had never run so fast in his life.