The days following Ava's arrival were tense. Liam and Ava stayed hidden in his cramped apartment, but even within the safety of four walls, danger lurked.
Ava's sleep was restless, her silver eyes flickering open at every sound. Liam would wake to see her sitting by the window, staring into the rainy streets below, her fingers tracing invisible patterns in the air.
"They won't stop," Ava whispered one night. "Nexus never stops."
"Then we won't let them find us," Liam assured, but even he didn't fully believe it. Every shadow seemed a threat, every passing car a spy.
One morning, Syra's voice interrupted their tense silence. "Liam, I have intercepted encrypted communications. The organization tracking you is known as 'The Nexus.' They are a global syndicate seeking to collect all system cores for a project named 'Genesis.'"
"Genesis?" Liam asked, his brows furrowing. "What do they want with the cores?"
Ava's face turned pale. "They want to combine all cores to create a single, ultimate system. One that can rewrite reality itself."
Liam's mind raced. "If they get all the cores…"
"They can reshape the world according to their will," Ava finished. "My family… we were Keepers. Guardians of one such core. My parents died protecting it."
Liam's heart sank. "And now they want you."
Before Ava could respond, a loud crash echoed outside. Liam peeked through the curtains—two black SUVs screeched to a halt outside the building, armed agents pouring out.
"They found us," Ava whispered, fear in her voice.
"Syra, emergency protocols," Liam commanded. "Identify all escape routes."
"Fire escape on the north side, service ladder at the back," Syra replied.
Liam grabbed Ava's hand. "This way!"
But as they burst into the hallway, agents were already rushing up the stairs. Liam's instincts flared. "Syra, activate Combat Genius!"
His senses sharpened. A charging agent swung a baton, but Liam sidestepped, grabbed his wrist, and flipped him over the railing. Another fired a stun round, but Liam's hand shot up, catching it mid-air before slamming it back into the attacker's face.
Ava's silver eyes shimmered, and with a flick of her fingers, a shimmering barrier appeared, blocking the bullets from striking them.
"We need to go!" she shouted.
They darted down the fire escape, rain pouring over them. But even as they reached the alley, more SUVs arrived, blocking the exit.
"Liam, we're trapped!" Ava cried.
Liam's mind raced. "Syra, is there another way out?"
"Calculating. The sewer hatch 10 meters to your left can provide temporary escape."
"Ava, follow me!" Liam shouted, yanking open the rusty hatch. They slid down, landing in the damp, dark tunnels below.
But the echoes of boots above told them the agents were already following.
"They don't give up," Liam muttered, leading Ava through the maze of tunnels.
"They won't," Ava whispered. "Not until they have me… and you."
"Why me?" Liam asked, glancing back.
"Because you have a system core too. Nexus must have detected it when you started using it publicly."
Liam cursed. "So I painted a target on my own back."
"But you saved me," Ava whispered. "And now we're in this together."
The tunnel split, and Syra's voice echoed in Liam's mind. "Liam, you are approaching a Nexus ambush. Tactical retreat recommended."
"Damn it," Liam muttered. "Syra, any options?"
"A secondary tunnel to the right, leading to a service elevator. It can take you to the upper district."
Liam grabbed Ava's hand. "This way."
They bolted, the sounds of footsteps growing louder behind them. As they reached the elevator, Liam smashed the button. The old machinery groaned to life, the doors creaking open.
But just as they stepped in, an agent appeared, gun raised.
"Not another step!"
Ava's eyes flashed silver, and the man's weapon flew from his hand, clattering to the ground. Liam lunged, delivering a precise strike that knocked the agent unconscious.
The doors slammed shut, and the elevator jerked upwards.
As they caught their breath, Ava leaned against the wall. "We… we can't keep running like this."
"Then we fight," Liam declared. "But we need allies. You said your father had a friend who could help?"
Ava nodded. "A rogue Keeper—Silas. He knows how to fight Nexus. But… he's not easy to trust."
"Right now, we don't have a choice," Liam whispered.
But as the elevator rose, Syra's voice was calm but urgent. "Liam, Nexus has deployed drones. Your location will be compromised soon."
Liam clenched his fists. "Then we better get to Silas fast."
Hand in hand, they stepped out into the rain-soaked upper district of Technoville, their shadows lost in the neon lights. But even as they ran, Nexus was never far behind.