# Chapter 158

# Chapter 158
Kira's POV

The countdown on the large digital display flashed ominously: 45 seconds. My heart hammered against my ribs as I positioned myself at the control panel, Jennifer beside me. Her fingers trembled over the keys, eyes unfocused but fighting to stay present. The memory drug was still coursing through her system, but she was fighting it—I could see the determination in her sweat-beaded face.

"Jennifer, stay with me," I urged, my voice tight with desperation. "We need to input this together. 3-8-5-9-1."

She nodded, blinking rapidly. "3...8...5..." Her voice was raspy, fighting through the mental fog.

Behind us, the lab was chaos. Rocco and Ethan fought viciously, crashing into equipment and shattering glass containers. Each impact sent jolts of panic through me. Any moment, one of them could slam into us, disrupt the delicate process we were attempting.

"9..." Jennifer continued, her hand shaking so badly I worried she'd hit the wrong key.

35 seconds.

"That's it," I encouraged, positioning my fingers over my own keypad. "Just one more number. We press on my count."

I glanced back at the fight. Rocco had Ethan pinned against a table, but Ethan's hand found a metal tray, smashing it against Rocco's head. Blood sprayed across the white floor.

"Kira, hurry!" Andy's voice crackled urgently through my earpiece. "The system's starting to lock down subsections!"

25 seconds.

Jennifer's breathing came in short gasps. "I can't... remember the last..."

"It's 1," I said firmly. "The last number is 1. Are you ready? We press together."

She nodded, her finger hovering uncertainly.

20 seconds.

"Three, two, one, NOW!"

Our fingers pressed down simultaneously. For one terrible moment, nothing happened. My stomach dropped.

Then the system's automated voice announced: "Override code accepted. Program interruption in progress..."

"We did it!" I grabbed Jennifer's arm, relief flooding through me.

15 seconds. The timer froze.

Ethan let out a rage-filled roar. "NO!" He threw Rocco off with unexpected strength and lunged toward us.

But before he could reach the console, a new alarm blared—this one deeper, more ominous than the first.

"Secondary protocol detected," the system announced. "Self-destruct sequence initiated. Facility detonation in 90 seconds."

My momentary triumph evaporated like water on hot concrete.

"Kira!" Andy's panicked voice came through. "He had a backup! The entire warehouse is rigged to blow in 90 seconds!"

Ethan's bloodied face split into a cruel smile. "You stopped the dispersal system, but you can't stop me. I'd rather destroy everything than let you win."

"Everyone out NOW!" I shouted into my comm. "Vanessa, get your team to lead the rescued personnel outside!"

The alarm wailed, red warning lights painting everything in a bloody glow. Jennifer was still disoriented, but more aware than before. I grabbed her arm, checking her pupils. They were beginning to respond normally.

"Jennifer, can you walk? We need to evacuate."

She nodded weakly. "I... I think so."

Rocco appeared at my side, his face streaked with blood. "We need to find a way to shut down the self-destruct."

"There's no time," I argued. "The building's going to blow in—" I glanced at the timer "—75 seconds!"

A commotion drew my attention. Kim—or Lyra in Kim's body—had collapsed to her knees, hands clutching her head. Her face contorted in pain.

"Kim!" I rushed to her side, instinct overriding caution. "Kim, I know you're in there! You have to fight her!"

"Leave... she is mine..." Lyra's voice hissed.

But then something shifted in those eyes—my eyes, my face, but not me. They softened, focused.

"Kira..." Kim's voice emerged, shaky but unmistakable. "Help me... know... how to stop..."

"Kim, whatever you know, tell me now! The whole place is about to explode!"

Lyra fought back, the face twisting in rage. "You'll all die here!"

I grabbed her shoulders. "Kim, please! If you know something, now's the time!"

For a brief moment, Kim's consciousness won control. "Main... power... basement... blue panel..."

I immediately activated my comm. "Andy! There's a main power source in the basement—a blue panel. It might stop the self-destruct!"

"On it!" Andy replied. "Basement level, east corridor. There should be a utility room. If we cut the main power, it might disable the detonation sequence!"

The countdown showed 60 seconds.

Lyra/Kim writhed on the floor, the internal struggle visibly painful. I made a split-second decision.

"Jennifer!" I called. "Take her and get out! I'm going to the basement!"

Jennifer, still weak but determined, protested, "You can't go alone!"

"There's no time to argue!" I snapped, fear making my voice harsh.

"Kira, get out now!" Andy pleaded through the comm. "There's not enough time!"

Rocco suddenly appeared beside me, his expression resolute. "Ethan got away."

I quickly explained what Kim had revealed. "There might be a way to shut it down in the basement."

"I'm coming with you," Rocco stated, brooking no argument. "Jennifer, get everyone else out."

45 seconds.

We sprinted toward the stairwell, shoving past debris and fallen equipment. The building groaned around us, small explosions already starting in distant sections. Each blast sent dust and debris raining down.

"Left!" Andy directed through my earpiece. "Then second door!"

The basement corridor was already filling with smoke. A support beam had collapsed, blocking our path. Rocco and I worked frantically to clear enough space to squeeze through.

"40 seconds, Kira," Andy warned, his voice tight with fear.

We pushed through the gap and ran to the utility room. Inside was a complex maze of circuits and control panels. The blue panel Andy mentioned was mounted on the far wall, surrounded by warning signs.

"There are dozens of switches!" I cried, scanning the confusing array. "Which one?"

"Look for the main power control," Andy instructed. "Something labeled 'main' or 'central'."

30 seconds.

Rocco searched frantically. "Here! But it needs a security code!"

"Damn it!" Andy cursed. "Give me a second to crack it..."

"We don't have seconds!" I felt panic rising, threatening to overwhelm me.

20 seconds.

"Try 0451," Andy suggested. "It's a standard override!"

Rocco punched it in. The panel beeped angrily. "Rejected!"

A thought struck me. "Try Lyra's birthday! Ethan was obsessed with her."

Rocco's fingers flew over the keypad, inputting the date. The panel lit up green. "Access granted!"

10 seconds.

We shut down the main power, plunging everything into darkness. But the alarm continued, powered by some backup system.

"There's still a reserve power supply!" Andy shouted. "Find the red circuit breaker!"

5 seconds.

In the dim emergency lighting, I frantically searched the panel. "Here!" I spotted it hidden behind a metal cover.

3 seconds.

Rocco yanked the cover off with superhuman strength.

2 seconds.

I grabbed the breaker and pulled with all my might.

1 second.

The entire facility went completely dark. The sudden silence was deafening after the constant alarms. For a terrifying moment, I thought we'd failed.

Then, in the distance, a series of small, controlled detonations popped like fireworks—not the massive explosion that would have leveled the building.

"We did it," I whispered into the darkness, hardly daring to believe it.

Rocco's hand found mine. "We need to get out. The structural integrity is compromised."

As if confirming his words, a section of ceiling collapsed nearby, the crash echoing through the darkened space.

"Andy," I called into my comm. "We stopped the main detonation, but the building's coming down! We need an exit!"

"All personnel evacuated safely," Andy replied, relief evident in his voice. "Jennifer and Kim are secure. Just waiting on you two!"

We started moving toward the stairs, but a thunderous crash told us our exit was blocked.

"The main stairwell's collapsed," Rocco reported, his enhanced vision scanning the darkness. "We need another way out."

He spotted a ventilation shaft near the floor. "This might lead outside. Follow me!"

As more explosions and collapses sounded through the building, we crawled into the narrow duct. I could feel the structure giving way above us, groaning like a dying beast.

"Keep moving," Rocco urged from ahead of me. "I can feel fresh air."