The chamber pulsed with a rhythm that rattled the bones. Every conduit, every glowing artery beat in sync with the massive core, each throb shaking the floor beneath their boots. It was as if the subnet itself were holding its breath, waiting.
Kieran stood at the center, knife in hand, his chest rising and falling in ragged gasps. His eyes darted between the glowing heart and Maya's desperate face. Sweat rolled down his temples, his knuckles white on the blade.
"Maya…" His voice cracked, barely audible over the hum. "If I end it here, maybe we're free."
Her throat tightened. She took a step forward, fighting against the vibration that pressed against her body like a living tide. "No. It doesn't work like that. You saw it—it's alive. You can't just stab something like this and expect it to die. It'll take you with it."
The words hung heavy in the charged air.
Behind her, Selene fought to keep the Enforcers back. Bullets sparked against conduits, her gunfire sharp and measured. Two machines fell, but more pressed forward, their glowing visors cutting through the dark. She barked over her shoulder, "Decide now, boy! Or we're all corpses!"
Kieran's jaw clenched. He looked back at the core. It was beautiful in its terror—streams of light running through it like veins, surges of energy flaring outward in spirals. He could feel it in his skull, a voice that wasn't a voice, urging him to strike. Urging him to merge.
Do it.
The word wasn't spoken, but it filled his mind, sweet and venomous. His arm twitched.
Maya cried out, "Kieran, don't listen! That's not your thought—it's theirs!"
He froze, trembling. He wanted to believe her, but the temptation was overwhelming. The subnet promised power, control, an end to being hunted. The promise of safety.
The Enforcers advanced again, forcing Selene into cover. One raised a cannon, its red glow charging. Maya moved on instinct, throwing her will outward. The conduits overhead split open, cables whipping down like serpents, crushing the Enforcer in a crackle of sparks. The force left her weak, blood dripping from her nose.
She staggered but didn't fall. Her eyes locked on Kieran.
Her voice shook but held firm. "Kieran… I trust you. Even if the subnet doesn't. You're stronger than it is."
For a moment, silence. Only the hum, the glow, and Kieran's ragged breaths.
Then, with a cry that ripped from his chest, he hurled the knife across the chamber. It clattered against the steel floor, spinning away from the core.
"No," he growled. "You don't own me."
The subnet reacted instantly. The hum pitched higher, furious, and the conduits writhed. The chamber shook as if in rage, the core pulsing like a heart in spasm. Lights flared, so bright they burned spots into their vision.
Selene cursed, firing into the chaos. "You pissed it off!"
The Enforcers reeled as the ground split beneath them, dragging two into the abyss. The others fired wildly, their shots ricocheting off shuddering walls.
Maya staggered to Kieran's side, grabbing his arm. His face was pale, but his eyes were clear—clearer than she had ever seen them. He had made his choice.
"We need to move," she said.
Together they turned, dragging Selene toward the exit tunnel. The chamber collapsed behind them, steel groaning like a wounded beast. The roar of the subnet followed them, shaking the tunnels, as if the entire system was collapsing into fury.
They ran, stumbling through the dark, their breath ragged.
Finally, after what felt like hours, they tumbled into a side passage where the hum was softer, the air cooler. Selene leaned against the wall, reloading with trembling hands.
Kieran dropped to his knees, clutching his head. His voice was hoarse. "It… it spoke to me. Not words exactly, but… it wanted me. It still wants me."
Maya crouched in front of him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "And you told it no. That's what matters. You're still you."
But inside, she wasn't sure. The subnet hadn't let go. She could feel its whispers still clawing at the edges of her mind, angry and hungry. And now, it had focused on Kieran too.
Selene exhaled hard, shaking her head. "We made it out. Barely. But it's not going to stop. That choice you made? It bought us time—but it also painted a target on you bigger than anything else."
The tunnel shivered, a distant echo rumbling through the walls.
Maya helped Kieran to his feet. Their eyes met, and in that silent exchange was an unspoken truth: the subnet wasn't done with them. It was only just beginning.