The tunnel sealed behind Nyx and Jace with a groan of rusted metal, the air thick with the scent of ozone and fear. The Undergrid's dim light flickered, casting jagged shadows as Vex's crew stumbled deeper into the labyrinth, their breaths heavy. Nyx clutched her holo-pad, its glow dimming as the chip's power ebbed, her body trembling from the phasing spell. Blood streaked her face from her nose and eyes, the runes in her mind pulsing erratically. The Source Code's silhouette lingered in her vision—its rune-eyes pleading, its voice echoing, Balance it, or it'll consume you. Lena's warning haunted her, and the scientist's cold laugh still rang in her ears. They weren't safe, not with Nexus closing in.
Jace stayed close, his stun-knife drawn, his face etched with tension. "We need to move," he said, his voice low but firm. His hand brushed her arm, grounding her, but his eyes darted away—guilt flickering again. Nyx wanted to ask about his past, his ties to Nexus, but the crew's murmurs pulled her focus. Vex glared at her, his scarred face twisted with anger. "That phasing stunt nearly got us killed," he snapped. "And now the Source is waking? You're a walking target, Nyx." Kira, clutching a singed arm, nodded weakly. "We trusted you to help, not destroy us."
Nyx's chest tightened. She'd saved them, but the chip's instability—the Source Code's awakening—threatened everything. The memory surged, sharp and vivid: the lab, her child self hiding in a vent, Lena crouching beside her. "Elara, the Source is alive because of you," Lena whispered, her hands trembling as she adjusted a hidden terminal. "Nexus wanted a weapon, but it chose you. Balance its power, or it'll break free." Guards shouted outside, and Lena pressed a rune-etched device into Nyx's hand—the chip's prototype. "This will guide you," she said, then shoved her deeper into the vent as boots stomped closer. Nyx's heart ached—Lena had known the risk, yet believed in her.
She wiped the blood from her face, her fingers shaking. "I didn't ask for this," she said, her voice steady despite the pain. "But I'll fix it." Vex scoffed, turning to his crew. "Fix it? She's a liability. We should cut her loose." Jace stepped between them, his knife raised slightly. "Try it, Vex. She's our best shot against Nexus." The tension crackled, but Kira intervened, her holo-lenses flickering. "Enough! We're all in this now. Let's figure it out." Vex grumbled but relented, his distrust palpable. Nyx met Jace's gaze, gratitude mixing with suspicion. His loyalty felt real, but his secrets gnawed at her.
Echo's pixelated form appeared on her holo-pad, its glow faint. "Nyx, the chip's data is syncing with the Source," it said. "You need to stabilize it before Prometheus locks on." Stabilize it? Nyx's head throbbed, the runes urging her to code. The memory flashed again: the lab, Lena teaching her a balancing spell, runes dancing on a screen. "Feel the Code's rhythm, Elara," Lena said, her voice calm. "Match it, or it'll overwhelm you." Guards burst in, and Lena shoved Nyx aside, taking a stun-bolt to protect her. Nyx's vision blurred with tears—her mother's sacrifice fueled her now.
She sat against the wall, typing on her holo-pad, the chip's data flowing. The runes guided her to a new spell, a rhythm to match the Source's pulse. Her hands moved, weaving light into the air, and the cavern's nodes flickered, syncing with her. Jace watched, his expression softening. "You're doing it," he said, kneeling beside her. His hand rested on hers, steadying her trembling fingers. The spark was there again—trust, maybe more—but she pushed it down. "Help me," she said. He nodded, adding his own commands, their code merging. The nodes stabilized, their hum evening out, and the chip's glow steadied.
But the relief was short-lived. The tunnel shook, and a new sound echoed—a deep, resonant pulse, stronger than before. Vex's screen lit up, showing a Nexus feed: the rune-eyed scientist, his device glowing, leading enforcers through the Undergrid. "Subject 17's signal is peaking," he said, his voice cold. "The Source is aligning with her. Capture her alive." Nyx's stomach dropped.
The scientist—Dr. Kael, from her lab memories—had overseen her creation, his hands on the machines that tortured her. The memory hit: the lab, Kael laughing as Lena pleaded, "She's my daughter!" He'd replied, "She's Nexus's property."
Kira gasped, pointing at the feed. "They're close—two tunnels over!" Vex cursed, rallying the crew. "We fight or we run." Nyx's spell faltered, the chip's power waning. The memory surged: Lena, bloodied but defiant, saying, "Elara, the Source can shield you, but you must control it." Nyx typed faster, the runes guiding her to amplify the shield, but her body screamed, blood dripping anew. Jace grabbed her holo-pad, typing with her. "Together," he said, his voice firm. The shield expanded, phasing the crew through the tunnel wall into a deeper chamber, but the effort knocked Nyx to her knees.
The chamber was vast, its walls lined with ancient data cores, their runes glowing faintly—the Source Code's origin. Echo pulsed. "Nyx, this is the primary node. Stabilize it here." Stabilize it? Before she could respond, the wall cracked, and Kael stepped through, his device syncing with the cores. "Elara Voss," he said, his rune-eyes gleaming. "The chip's instability will destroy you. Surrender, and we'll save your mother." Save Lena? Nyx's heart pounded—Lena's hologram had begged her to balance the chip. Was Kael lying, or did Nexus hold the key?
Vex fired at Kael, but the scientist's device deflected the shot, sending a shockwave that threw the crew back. Nyx's shield flickered, and Kael advanced, his voice lowering. "Your mother begged for your life, Elara. Join us, and she lives." The memory hit hard: the lab, Lena on her knees, pleading with Kael, "Take me instead!" Kael had smirked, "She's the anchor. You're expendable." Nyx's rage flared, the chip surging. She typed, the spell rewriting the cores, their runes flaring to block Kael. But the effort drained her, her vision blackening.
Jace caught her, his arms strong. "Nyx, don't!" he shouted.
The cores pulsed, and the Source's silhouette emerged, its voice pleading, "Elara, balance me!" Kael raised his device, and a new feed flashed on Nyx's holo-pad: Lena, chained, her eyes rune-lit, whispering, "Elara, trust the Source—not him." The chamber shook, the cores cracking, and a massive shadow loomed behind Kael—Prometheus, its form taking shape. Vex yelled, "We're trapped!" Nyx's heart raced—the chip was her power, but Kael's device countered it. The silhouette merged with Lena's image, and a voice boomed, "Choose, Elara."
To Be Continued…