Chapter 24

The world was a blur as we stumbled through the crumbling tunnels. The air was thick with dust, making it almost impossible to breathe. Each step we took seemed to echo in the silence, louder than the tremors that still rattled the ground beneath our feet. But we didn’t stop.

I could hear 014’s breathing, sharp and ragged beside me, but I didn’t dare speak. There was too much to focus on—too many questions, too much danger. The explosion had ripped apart the facility, but I knew that wasn't the end. It couldn’t be. The architect—he—was still out there. And if the system had failed, there were others who would come after us.

I glanced over at 014, her face pale, her clothes torn. She was still moving, though, still pushing forward.

“Do you know where we are?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

She shook her head. “Not exactly. But there’s a way out. A secondary exit… but it’s far.”

“Far enough that it might not matter?” I muttered under my breath.

She didn’t respond. There was no need. She knew exactly what I meant.

We kept moving through the corridors, our steps quick and deliberate. The whole building felt like it was on the verge of collapsing, the walls buckling inward, and the floor threatening to cave beneath us at any moment. But we couldn’t stop. Not until we were out. Not until we were far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to find us.

Minutes passed—hours, maybe. Time didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was getting to the exit.

And then, just as I thought we might make it, I heard the sound of footsteps.

Heavy.

Deliberate.

I froze. My hand went to the gun at my side, but 014 grabbed my wrist before I could draw it.

“Stay quiet,” she whispered urgently. “We can’t fight them here.”

The footsteps grew closer, and I could see the faint silhouette of a figure moving through the haze of dust and smoke. My breath caught in my throat as the figure stepped into view.

It was a soldier—clad in dark tactical gear, a gun slung across his chest. His face was hidden behind a mask, but there was no mistaking the rigid posture, the confident step.

A second soldier appeared behind him.

They were the ones who had come for us.

I swallowed hard, adrenaline flooding my system. We had to move—had to escape.

Without warning, I grabbed 014’s arm and yanked her into a side passage. The soldiers didn’t hear us—at least, I hoped they hadn’t. We ducked low, pressing ourselves against the cold metal walls, trying to remain as silent as possible.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the rush of fear settling in. We had no weapons. No backup. Nothing but our wits.

The soldiers passed, their footsteps fading as they moved further down the main corridor. I exhaled, the tension in my muscles loosening slightly, but I knew we weren’t safe.

Not yet.

We couldn’t stay here for long.

I pulled 014 along, trying to stay as quiet as possible, but I could feel the panic rising in my chest. It was a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time—the feeling of being hunted. We were the prey, and they were coming for us.

I could hear the soldiers talking now, their voices distant but unmistakable.

“Track them down. They can’t get out of here. They’re ours.”

Their words sent a chill through me. We weren’t just trying to escape anymore. We were running for our lives.

I took a deep breath, trying to push back the rising panic. We had to keep moving. There had to be another way out.

I turned to 014, but her eyes were wide with something else—fear. Real, raw fear. For the first time, I saw it in her eyes. The kind of fear that comes when you realize there’s no more hope.

I didn’t have time to question it.

We turned a corner, and there it was—the exit. A thick steel door, the emergency exit sign glowing faintly above it. A sense of relief washed over me, but only for a second. The soldiers were still close.

“Get ready,” I whispered. “On three…”

I didn’t wait for her response. I counted to three in my head, and then I pushed the door open.

The outside air hit me like a slap. It was cold, and the night sky stretched out above us, dark and endless. We were out. But it didn’t feel like victory. Not yet.

We hadn’t made it far before I heard it.

The unmistakable sound of a helicopter rotor.

I looked up, and my stomach dropped.

“They’re coming for us,” I said, my voice tight. “We’re not safe.”

014 didn’t hesitate. She grabbed my arm and pulled me toward a nearby alley. We had to move quickly, keep low. But there was no hiding now. Not with the helicopter above us. Not with the soldiers hot on our trail.

We ran, faster than I thought we could. My legs burned with the effort, but I kept pushing forward. The sound of the helicopter grew louder, closer, and I knew that if we didn’t make it to cover soon, we’d be caught.

I turned a corner, my mind racing. We needed a plan. We needed help. And fast.

“014, we have to—”

Before I could finish, the ground shook with another explosion. The shockwave sent me to my knees. My ears rang, my vision blurred.

Everything around me exploded into chaos.

I looked up. The streets were on fire. The buildings were coming down.

It was them. The ones who had orchestrated all of this. The system. They were taking no chances now. And we were in the middle of it all.

“Estela,” 014 whispered, her voice strained. “We can’t outrun them. Not anymore.”

I didn’t know what to say. The world was crumbling around us. The people we’d trusted were either dead or gone. And we were just two girls running, without a single ally left.

But I refused to give up.

I couldn’t.

“There’s always a way,” I said through gritted teeth. “We fight. We survive. We don’t stop.”

We didn’t have much time. We didn’t have much hope.

But we had each other.

And that was enough.