The sun hung low in the sky, casting an amber glow over the ruined landscape. Artemis sprinted, the wind tearing through her white hair as she vaulted debris, sidestepped jagged steel, and pushed deeper into the wild ruins of the southern zone.
Every part of her burned—lungs, legs, the gash on her temple reopening—but none of it mattered.
Elara was alive.
That single truth was louder than the thunder in her heartbeat.
She slid down the edge of a collapsed freeway ramp and hit the ground running, Beacon still pulsing in her palm, brighter than before. It tugged her toward the horizon, the signal growing stronger with every step.
Then—
A flicker.
Not from the Beacon. From the skyline.
A distant shimmer, like heatwaves bending light—but unnatural, pulsing, mechanical.
She stopped on instinct, ducking low behind a hollowed-out vehicle.
Three humanoid figures stood at a checkpoint of twisted black pylons—tall, armored, with glowing blue veins coursing through their suits. They were unlike the creatures she'd fought earlier—these moved with precision.
One of them turned its head sharply, scanning the area.
Artemis's breath stilled.
Not monsters. Not human, either.
Hunters.
Her eyes widened. She recognized the sigil etched into the chestplates—one she'd seen on Elara's notebooks. A symbol she once thought was just part of some sci-fi doodle.
Had Elara drawn these from memory? Or had she seen them?
She moved carefully through the shadows, circling wide. The Beacon was pulsing erratically now—like it was warning her.
One of the Hunters suddenly froze. Its head snapped toward her location.
Crap.
Artemis bolted.
The air behind her cracked with energy. Blue plasma arced past her head, narrowly missing as she twisted behind cover.
The Hunters gave chase.
Artemis leapt onto a rusted fire escape, scrambling up the side of a shattered apartment building. One of the Hunters launched after her, landing hard on the ledge just below.
She could feel it—its speed matched hers. Maybe even more.
She had no choice.
Artemis skidded to a halt on the rooftop, spun around, and let the power surge.
Her claws exploded from her hands—longer, sharper this time. Her red eyes flared, and she growled low in her throat, letting the beast rise.
The Hunter lunged—and Artemis met it head-on.
They collided mid-air, a blur of metal and muscle.
It drove her back, faster, stronger than she expected, but she adapted. She twisted mid-fall, slashing across its shoulder. Sparks erupted, and the machine staggered, damaged.
The second one landed behind her.
No time to think.
She backflipped over its swing, claws spinning in a figure-eight motion, parrying plasma blades as they hissed through the air.
Her instincts screamed, warning her—they were stalling her.
She turned sharply and looked to the south.
A faint, flickering pillar of white light in the far distance. The true signal.
Artemis's breath hitched.
"Elara…"
She pivoted and ran, claws retracting as she kicked off a ledge, landing hard in a roll. The Hunters gave chase again, but this time she wasn't looking to fight.
She had a destination.