The hum of the backup generator filled the bunker with a low, anxious vibration. Red lights blinked across the control panel, warning of proximity alerts and motion sensors tripped at the perimeter.
Adrian's hands moved fast across the keyboard, shutting down every traceable signal. "They've found the outer entrance. Two minutes, maybe less."
Lena stood by the metal door, still pale, but her eyes burned bright beneath the emergency light. The glow beneath her skin pulsed faster now, matching the rhythm of the alarm — alive, defiant.
"Two minutes?" she said quietly. "That's generous."
Adrian looked at her — really looked. Her hair was messy, damp from sweat, and her hospital gown had been replaced by one of his black shirts, sleeves rolled and tied at the waist. Somehow, even in chaos, she was breathtaking.
He grabbed a small duffel from under the console, tossing it toward her. "Change of plans. We're going through the lower tunnels."
She caught the bag and frowned. "You said those collapsed years ago."
"Most of them," he replied. "Not all."
The floor shuddered. A deep, mechanical thud echoed above them — the first explosive charge. Dust rained from the ceiling.
Lena's breath hitched. "They're inside."
Adrian pulled her close, pressing something cold into her palm — a metal disk with a glowing blue core. "Flash detonator. Only if we're cornered."
"Adrian—"
He met her eyes, firm. "Don't argue. If something happens to me, you keep moving. Find Victor Dane. He might know how to stop this."
She flinched. "You still trust him?"
"I trust that he hates Erevos more than he hates me," Adrian said grimly. "That's enough for now."
The second explosion tore through the main door. A wave of heat and smoke roared into the corridor.
Adrian grabbed Lena's wrist. "Go!"
They sprinted down the narrow passage, boots echoing against concrete. The bunker lights flickered, dimmed, then died, leaving only the rhythmic glow from Lena's skin to guide them.
"Left!" Adrian shouted.
She turned sharply, heart pounding, lungs burning. Behind them, muffled voices — armed men, synchronized steps, military precision.
Adrian pulled a lever beside a rusted bulkhead. It groaned open, revealing a dark service tunnel.
"In," he said.
They slipped through. The hatch slammed shut behind them, locking with a hiss.
For a few seconds, all they could hear was their breathing and the distant rumble of pursuit.
Lena leaned against the wall, trembling. "I can't—"
Adrian cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "You can. Breathe. Stay with me."
Her gaze locked on his — dark, intense, familiar. The man who once swore he'd never let her go, even when he did.
Something shifted in her chest. Fear melted into something sharper, heavier — a mix of adrenaline and longing.
"You still know how to give orders," she murmured.
His lips curved, just barely. "You still don't know how to follow them."
They shared a small, breathless laugh — the first in what felt like years. But it faded quickly as another explosion thundered behind them, closer this time.
"Move!" Adrian said, pulling her down the tunnel.
They reached a ladder leading to a sealed hatch. He climbed first, forcing it open with his shoulder until the metal bent with a screech. Cold air rushed in — the smell of rain and oil.
When Lena climbed out, she realized they were beneath an old freight yard on the outskirts of the city. Massive steel containers surrounded them, rusted and silent. The storm had returned, thunder rolling across the sky.
Adrian scanned the horizon, rain streaming down his face. "We need to reach the east fence. My car's parked in the service lot."
Lena's voice trembled. "And if they're waiting?"
He chambered a round in his gun. "Then we improvise."
They moved between the containers, crouching low. The rain masked their footsteps but not the searchlights sweeping across the yard. A helicopter roared overhead, its beam slicing through the dark like a blade.
Lena's pulse quickened. The glow beneath her skin pulsed brighter — responding to her fear.
Adrian noticed. "You're lighting up again."
"I can't stop it."
"Try. They'll see us."
She clenched her fists, breathing hard — willing it to fade. Slowly, the light dimmed, though her veins still shimmered faintly.
Adrian exhaled. "Good. Keep it that way."
They crawled beneath a low cargo ramp, waiting as armed soldiers swept past. Rain dripped through the cracks above them, cold against Lena's neck.
She whispered, "Why are they so desperate to find me?"
Adrian hesitated before answering. "Because you're proof they succeeded. Erevos was trying to create something beyond human control. And you—"
He stopped as the ground shook again. The helicopter's searchlight cut directly across their hiding spot.
"Run," Adrian hissed.
They bolted. Bullets tore through the metal behind them, sparks exploding in the rain. Adrian grabbed Lena's hand, dragging her toward a maintenance shed near the fence.
He kicked the door open. Inside, the car — a black armored SUV, engine cold but ready.
Lena jumped in the passenger seat as he started the ignition. Headlights cut through the storm.
The gate ahead loomed, chained and padlocked. Adrian revved the engine once, twice.
"Hold on."
He slammed the accelerator. The SUV crashed through the gate, metal twisting and snapping as they burst onto the highway.
For a moment, the chaos fell away — just the roar of the engine, the blur of rain, and Lena clutching her stomach as another faint glow pulsed through her skin.
Adrian glanced over. "You okay?"
She nodded weakly. "I think so. But Adrian…"
He turned his head slightly. "What?"
Her eyes glimmered with silver light. "It's moving."
The air in the car thickened.
She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her stomach. Beneath the heat of her skin, something shifted — a slow, deliberate movement, far too strong for an unborn child.
Adrian's jaw locked. "That's not normal."
"I know," she whispered. "It's… aware of you."
The glow intensified, flooding the car's interior with white light.
For one breathless second, everything went silent.
Then the dashboard cracked — the electronics short-circuiting, sparks flying.
Adrian swerved, barely keeping control. "Lena!"
The glow faded as quickly as it came. Lena slumped against the seat, pale and trembling, her pulse racing unnaturally fast.
Adrian gritted his teeth, forcing the car back onto the road.
"Whatever's inside you," he said, voice low, "it just saved us from being tracked."
Lena's eyes fluttered open, voice faint. "Or it warned them where we're going."
Outside, far above the storm, a drone light flickered — adjusting course.
They weren't safe yet.