The tunnel's pulsing data cables cast eerie blue light, but the shadows ahead seemed to move, alive with intent. Nyx's heart raced, her holo-pad clutched tight, its screen still glowing with the grainy lab video's final frame: her young face, eyes lit with runes, labeled Subject 17. The Nexus voice in her head—Return to us—lingered like a virus. Jace crouched beside her, his stun-knife raised, his eyes scanning the darkness. "We've got company," he whispered, his voice low but steady. Nyx's leg throbbed from the plasma graze, and her head ached, the runes in her mind flickering with another memory.
It hit hard: a sterile lab, her child self strapped to a chair, wires humming with energy. A woman's voice, soft and urgent, whispered, "Elara, stay strong." Then pain—runes burning into her skin, her screams drowned by machines. A man in a white coat said, "She's bonding with the Source Code. Prometheus will be complete." Nyx gasped, snapping back to the tunnel. The memory felt real, like it was happening now. Was she still Elara? Or just a tool Nexus had built? Jace touched her arm, his face worried. "Nyx, you with me?"
She nodded, shaking off the memory's grip. "Yeah," she lied, her voice hoarse. The shadows shifted again, closer now—human shapes, not drones. Nyx's holo-pad buzzed, and Echo's pixelated form appeared, its glow dim. "They're Nexus operatives," Echo warned. "Not enforcers—specialists. They're after you, Nyx." Specialists? Nyx's stomach twisted. Enforcers were bad enough, but specialists were ghosts—trained to hunt anomalies like her. The runes pulsed, urging her to code, but her last spell had nearly knocked her out. She was running on fumes.
Jace pulled her behind a cluster of cables, their hum masking their footsteps. "We're close to the Core Node," he said, nodding at her holo-pad's map. The red dot blinked, a beacon in Nexus territory. Nyx's memories screamed that the node held answers—about the lab, the Source Code, her. But the shadows were closing in, their steps silent but deliberate. Jace's knife gleamed, and Nyx noticed his hand tremble, just slightly. "You scared?" she asked, half-teasing to hide her own fear. He smirked, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Not for me. For you."
Nyx's chest tightened. His words stirred something—trust, maybe, or something more dangerous. She pushed it down, focusing on her holo-pad. The runes guided her fingers, and she typed a quick spell, drawing on the tunnel's data cables. The air shimmered, and a faint distortion rippled out, masking their heat signatures. The operatives paused, their holo-visors scanning blindly. Nyx's head throbbed, blood trickling from her nose. "You're pushing too hard," Echo said, its voice sharp. "The Source Code's not a toy." Nyx gritted her teeth. "Then tell me what it is," she snapped, keeping her voice low.
Echo flickered. "It's the heart of Neon Crucible's network, fused with you in the lab. You're its anchor." Another memory flashed: the lab's machines pulsing, runes glowing on a massive screen, her small body convulsing as a voice said, "She's stabilizing the Code." Nyx's breath caught. She wasn't just a test subject—she was the key to controlling the city's core. Jace glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?" Nyx shook her head, unable to explain. The operatives were closer now, their visors glowing red in the dark.
She typed another spell, her fingers shaking. The runes felt heavier, like they were carving into her mind. The distortion grew, bending light to hide them completely. An operative passed within arm's reach, his rifle sweeping the air. Nyx held her breath, her spell straining, her vision blurring. Jace's hand found hers, squeezing gently. "You got this," he whispered. His touch steadied her, but the memory surged again: the lab woman's face, tears in her eyes, saying, "I'm sorry, Elara. I couldn't stop them." Who was she? Nyx's mother? A scientist? The pain was unbearable.
The operatives moved past, but one lingered, his visor scanning the cables. Nyx's spell flickered, and a cable sparked, revealing their position. "There!" the operative shouted, raising his rifle. Jace lunged, his knife arcing toward the man's arm. The operative dodged, faster than human, his armor humming with tech. Nyx typed desperately, the runes guiding her to a new spell. The cables erupted, spitting arcs of electricity that knocked the operative back. The others turned, firing plasma bolts. Nyx's spell held, deflecting the shots, but her knees buckled, blood dripping from her nose.
Jace dragged her toward the Core Node, the tunnel narrowing. "We're almost there!" he said, his voice urgent. Nyx's vision swam, the memories and runes blending into a storm. She saw the lab again: a massive chamber, a glowing orb pulsing with runes—the Source Code. Her child self reached for it, and a scientist shouted, "She's syncing!" Nyx stumbled, the memory fading. The node was close, its pulse vibrating through the tunnel. Echo's voice was faint. "You're almost there, Nyx. But Nexus is waiting." Waiting? Nyx's heart sank. Was this a trap?
A new sound broke through—a low, mechanical hum, different from the drones or the Hunter. The tunnel's end opened into a vast chamber, the Core Node glowing like a star, its surface crawling with runes. But figures stood before it—not operatives, but something worse: hooded shapes, their eyes glowing with the same runes as hers. One spoke, its voice chillingly familiar, echoing in her mind. "Welcome home, Subject 17." Nyx froze, her holo-pad trembling. They weren't human—they were like her.
To Be Continued…