The old train station on the outskirts of the city was nearly deserted. A layer of dust coated the cracked benches and faded timetables, reminders of a time when people came here to travel, not to disappear.
Liora Venn sat quietly near the end of the platform, her hands wrapped around a cup of steaming tea Kael had found from a forgotten vending cart. She stared at the horizon, where the fog met the mountains, her thoughts miles away.
Kael Draven stood a few feet away, checking the map and the small communication device in his hand. His every movement was precise, calculated — like a man who had spent too many years trusting no one.
Finally, Liora broke the silence.
"Why are you helping me, Kael?" she asked softly. "You could've walked away. You don't even know what's in that case."
He glanced at her, his gray eyes unreadable. "Maybe I don't need to know," he replied. "Maybe keeping you alive is reason enough."
She frowned, searching his face for deception but found none. That frightened her more than anything.
Kael sighed and sat across from her. "You're not the only one running from something," he said, voice low. "I used to be on their side — before I realized what they were really doing."
Liora looked up sharply. "You mean the same people who are after me?"
He nodded slowly. "The same. I was one of their best field operatives. Until I discovered what Project Seraph was about."
The name hit her like a jolt.
"You know about Seraph?" she whispered.
Kael's gaze hardened. "I know it wasn't a research project. It was a cover — for human data experiments, mind-control prototypes, weapons disguised as science. They wanted total obedience. And you… you have the key that could expose it all."
Liora's breath caught. Memories flashed — white rooms, blinking lights, voices shouting orders. She had tried to forget, but the nightmares had never truly left.
"I was one of their analysts," she murmured. "I saw something I shouldn't have. When I tried to destroy the files, they marked me as a traitor."
Kael's jaw tightened. "That's why they sent Darian. He used to be my partner. He won't stop until he finds you."
Silence settled between them again, heavy and fragile. The sound of a distant train echoed through the station, metal wheels grinding against rusted tracks.
Then Kael stood abruptly. "We can't stay here. Once they realize you're still alive, they'll sweep every exit route."
Liora followed, clutching the case tightly. "Where will we go?"
"There's someone I trust," he said. "A contact in the north. She owes me her life."
As they moved toward the shadows beyond the platform, the distant rumble of engines grew louder. Kael's instincts flared. He pushed Liora against the wall just as headlights sliced through the fog.
"Down!" he hissed.
Gunfire erupted, bullets sparking against metal pillars. Liora ducked, heart hammering. Kael fired back with deadly precision, taking cover behind a broken crate.
"Keep moving!" he shouted.
They sprinted through the side corridor, the echo of their footsteps mixing with gunfire and shouts. The adrenaline burned through her fear. She wasn't a scientist anymore — she was fighting for her life.
Kael grabbed her wrist and pulled her through a maintenance door. They stumbled into an abandoned rail tunnel, panting, covered in dust.
Liora leaned against the wall, shaking. "You could've been killed!"
He looked at her, eyes blazing. "So could you."
The tension between them snapped like a wire pulled too tight. Neither spoke for a moment. Then Kael stepped closer, his voice dropping. "If we're going to survive this, you have to trust me completely."
Liora met his gaze. "And if I do?"
His expression softened, just slightly. "Then I'll make sure you live long enough to decide whether you still want to run."
Their eyes locked — too long, too deep — until the distant echo of footsteps broke the moment. Kael pulled away first, face hardening again.
"Come on. The night's not over yet."
They moved deeper into the tunnel, the darkness swallowing their silhouettes. The faint hum of the city faded behind them, replaced by the rhythm of their breathing and the soft whisper of fate drawing them closer.
For the first time since this began, Liora realized she wasn't running from Kael. She was running with him — and that made all the difference.