The city looked half asleep under the quiet Sunday night sky. A pale moon hung above, veiled behind drifting clouds, throwing faint silver light over the silent streets. It was nearly 11:50 PM when Alaric and Evans stood at the edge of the abandoned service road leading toward Aurion Industries.
The massive facility loomed in the distance — glass walls reflecting the city's distant glow, metallic gates guarded by sensors that blinked like unblinking eyes.
The same place where everything had begun.
Alaric adjusted the hood over his head, his heartbeat echoing in his ears. He could still feel the faint hum beneath his skin — that same unstable current that had almost destroyed his room days ago.
This time, however, it felt calmer. Controlled. Almost.
Evans crouched beside him, pulling a tablet from his bag. His voice was steady, though the tremor in his hands betrayed his nerves.
"Security cycles every three minutes. If we time it right, we get in through the west maintenance gate. No cameras there, only motion sensors."
Alaric's eyes flicked to the steel fences shimmering under faint floodlights. "And if we don't time it right?"
Evans smirked. "Then we find out how good you are at dodging bullets."
Alaric exhaled through a nervous laugh. "You're terrible at comfort talk."
"Yeah," Evans muttered, pocketing the tablet. "But it's working."
They exchanged a glance — the kind of look that didn't need words.
Then Evans whispered, "Let's move."
They sprinted low through the grass, sticking close to the fences. Evans knelt by the maintenance gate, pulling a compact device from his pack. A soft buzz filled the air as the circuit scrambled the gate's lock.
Alaric glanced around. "You sure about this?"
Evans didn't look up. "Not even slightly."
A faint click. The gate hissed open.
"Go," Evans whispered.
They slipped through, the metal shutting silently behind them.
Now, only the cold concrete paths and the hollow wind of Aurion surrounded them.
Evans guided Alaric through the shadows between research wings. "Level C should have the archives," he murmured. "That's where we'll find the files about… you."
Alaric clenched his fists. "Subject 017," he said quietly, almost spitting the number like poison.
Evans glanced back at him but said nothing. There was no need to.
They entered through a rear service door, the electronic lock already half-dead from years of neglect. Inside, the hallways were lined with flickering lights. Everything smelled of metal and sterilized dust — the ghost of experiments past.
Evans pulled up the digital floor map. "We're on Level A. Archives are two levels below."
"Then let's get down there before someone does," Alaric whispered.
But before they reached the stairs, Evans stopped him.
"Wait. Don't use your speed here. The sensors might pick up the electromagnetic interference. If your body releases too much charge, it'll light up their systems like a flare."
Alaric frowned. "So I'm supposed to walk while breaking into a facility?"
Evans nodded. "Exactly. If you lose control again, we'll be lucky if this place doesn't explode."
Alaric bit back his frustration. "Fine. But if something goes wrong—"
"I'll handle it," Evans said firmly. "You just… stay in control."
The words echoed in Alaric's head as they made their way downward, their footsteps silent against the metal stairs.
The basement level was colder, darker, quieter — like the air itself was holding its breath.
Rows of steel cabinets stretched into the distance, each labeled with cryptic codes.
Evans connected his tablet to the central terminal, eyes narrowing as lines of code flashed across the screen.
"Got it," he whispered. "Project Aurion – Human Adaptation Program. They were experimenting on neural-energy synchronization."
Alaric stepped closer. "English, please?"
Evans glanced at him. "They were trying to merge human neural pathways with an artificial energy source — like making your brain a circuit. You weren't just exposed… they built you into it."
Alaric froze. His mouth went dry. "So I wasn't an accident."
Evans scrolled further, stopping on a single document:
Subject 017 – Status: Unstable. Termination Recommended.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Alaric's hands trembled. "Termination… recommended?" His voice cracked slightly.
Evans swallowed. "They were going to kill you, Alaric. You probably escaped before they could."
The words hit like a blade twisting inside. Alaric's vision blurred, the air around him starting to hum again. The lights flickered once.
"Alaric," Evans hissed, stepping closer. "Control it— now's not the time!"
Alaric clenched his jaw, forcing deep breaths. The glow beneath his skin slowly dimmed. "I'm fine… I'm fine."
Evans unplugged the tablet. "Then let's get out before we set off something."
But as they turned, an alarm shrieked through the halls.
"Unauthorized access detected," a robotic voice blared. "Security lockdown initiated."
Evans cursed. "You've got to be kidding me—"
"Go!" Alaric shouted, grabbing his arm as red lights began flashing.
They bolted through the hallways as heavy blast doors began sliding down behind them. Alaric's heart pounded with every step, the electricity inside him reacting to his adrenaline.
"Faster, Evans!" he shouted.
"I'm trying!" Evans snapped, clutching the bag tight.
They reached the upper levels, only to hear footsteps — guards shouting somewhere above. The sound of radios crackled.
Evans looked up at Alaric. "You can get us out… can't you?"
Alaric's eyes flickered gold. "If I run, the energy could surge—"
"I know!" Evans yelled over the alarms. "But it's that or get shot!"
Alaric hesitated — then nodded. "Stay close."
He drew a breath, feeling the storm rise within him. Ions crackled at his fingertips as his whole body shimmered with faint light. The ground buzzed under his feet.
Evans shielded his eyes. "Holy— Alaric, now!"
With a burst of energy, Alaric launched forward — a streak of gold and static tearing through the corridor. Evans stumbled after him, barely keeping up with the shockwave.
In seconds, they were out of the main lab, bursting through the emergency exit doors that blew open with a loud metallic clang.
The night air hit them like ice.
They'd made it out.
Alaric fell to one knee, panting, sparks flickering off his arms.
Evans bent over, gasping. "You— you did it…"
But Alaric didn't smile. His eyes widened, frozen on the road ahead.
Evans followed his gaze — and his heart sank.
Rows of red-and-blue lights painted the night in chaos. Police cars lined the front of the facility. Dozens of officers aimed their flashlights — and guns — straight at them.
A voice boomed through a megaphone:
"Hands in the air! You're trespassing on restricted property!"
Evans went pale. "How— how the hell did they—?"
"They must've been alerted the second the alarm tripped," Alaric muttered, his voice shaking with disbelief.
He raised his hands slowly, golden sparks flickering faintly in his palms. The officers shouted louder, warning him not to move.
Evans whispered, "Don't use it, Alaric. You'll lose control again."
Alaric's jaw tightened. His chest burned with anger, fear, confusion. "They were going to kill me, Evans… they were going to kill me before I even knew who I was."
"I know," Evans said softly. "But right now— we survive."
The wind howled across the concrete. Flashlights blinded their faces.
The moment stretched like eternity.
Then—
the sound of approaching boots.
Evans whispered, "What now?"
Alaric exhaled, eyes flickering between the cops and the facility behind them.
"We wait," he said quietly. "And hope they don't shoot first."