CHAPTER 13 — THE QUIET BEFORE THE COLLAPSE
The parking garage had grown colder, the air dense with the scent of damp cement and rust. Evelyn lingered in Liam's arms for a long moment, letting his warmth settle against her trembling body. But as soon as he released her, reality surged back in—sharp, frightening, and suffocating.
They couldn't stay there.
"Come on," Liam said quietly. "They might track us. We need to move."
Evelyn followed him up the stairwell. Every footstep echoed like a countdown, every shadow stretching across the walls looked like a warning. When they reached the rooftop, the cool wind hit her immediately, whipping her hair across her face. The city lights blinked beneath them, restless and alive.
Liam scanned the surroundings with the precision of someone who had lived too long in danger. His hand hovered near his jacket, where she suspected a hidden weapon might be concealed. She had never seen him like this—alert, almost predatory, as though one wrong move could fracture the thin line holding them together.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To a safe place," he said. "Somewhere Astraeus won't find easily."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because they don't know it exists," he replied. "Only one person ever knew about it besides me, and he's dead."
A chill ran down her spine.
They climbed into a dark car parked in the corner, its engine silent until Liam pressed a button beneath the dashboard, activating it without a key. Evelyn watched the city fade through the window as they drove—streets she used to know now felt like foreign territory.
"You said something earlier," she said softly after a long silence. "You said Astraeus destroyed everything connected to my father's project. What exactly did he create? Why is this key important?"
Liam's grip tightened on the steering wheel. For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer.
Then he exhaled.
"Your father was a researcher," he began, eyes fixed on the road. "But not the kind people assume. Astraeus recruited him to work on something… experimental."
Evelyn's stomach knotted. "Experimental how?"
Liam shook his head. "I don't know the full details. I was too young, too deep in their system. But I know this: your father was brilliant, but he was also unpredictable. He didn't trust the organization that hired him. And when he realized what they really wanted—he tried to destroy his own work before they could use it."
Her breath hitched.
"What did they want?"
"Control," Liam said quietly. "A new kind of control. Power without limits. Your father was involved in something that could alter human behavior… or consciousness… or perhaps something even darker. I don't know exactly. But Astraeus wanted it weaponized."
Evelyn pressed a shaking hand against her chest.
"My father would never help create something like that."
"He didn't," Liam said. "That's why he vanished."
She closed her eyes, fighting back tears.
"So Rowan lied," she whispered. "He made it sound like my father trusted him. Like they were partners."
Liam's jaw clenched. "Rowan only cares about exposing Astraeus. He doesn't care about the people trapped in the middle. He thinks he's a hero, but he's too blinded by vengeance to see the damage he causes."
"Why would he help me then?"
"Because you're the last link to your father's research. And Rowan wants the truth. Even if it puts you at risk."
Evelyn tightened her grip on the key in her pocket.
Her father's last gift… or his last warning.
---
The Safehouse
They reached the outskirts of the city, driving into a quiet industrial area filled with abandoned factories. Liam parked behind a rusted supply warehouse. The building looked like it hadn't been touched in years—broken windows, peeling paint, vines crawling up its sides.
"This is the safe place?" she asked doubtfully.
"On the surface," Liam said. "The real entrance is underground."
He led her to a concealed hatch hidden beneath a pile of discarded wooden panels. After unlocking a latch, he pushed it open, revealing a metal staircase descending into darkness.
When they reached the bottom, Evelyn found herself inside a surprisingly clean, well-lit room. It was small but secure—reinforced doors, surveillance screens, a medical kit, shelves stocked with emergency supplies.
"You've been here before," she murmured.
Liam nodded. "I built this place years ago. For moments like this."
She sat on the edge of a worn couch, feeling the exhaustion finally seep into her bones. Liam paced the room, restless, checking the surveillance monitors again and again.
Eventually, Evelyn asked the question she feared most.
"Liam… are you staying because you want to protect me? Or because Astraeus told you to keep an eye on me?"
He froze.
Slowly, he turned toward her.
"Evelyn," he said softly, "I haven't worked for Astraeus in years. I would rather die than go back to them."
"But they trained you," she whispered. "They shaped you into who you are."
"Yes," Liam said, pain clouding his eyes. "And I've spent every day since trying to undo what they did to me."
She looked away. "I don't know who to trust anymore."
His voice softened. "Trust me. Not because of who I was. Because of who I am with you."
Her throat tightened.
Before she could respond, the surveillance screens flickered.
Liam rushed to them. Evelyn stood behind him, staring at the grainy footage.
Outside the warehouse…
Two cars had arrived.
Unmarked. Dark. Silent.
Men stepped out.
Not Rowan's group.
Not random followers.
Astraeus.
Liam's face drained of color.
"They found us."
Evelyn's stomach lurched.
"How?" she whispered.
Then—she remembered.
The key.
It wasn't just a key.
It was a tracker.
She stumbled backward, horrified. "Liam… I—I think I—"
"You didn't know," he said quickly, grabbing her shoulders. "Listen to me. Don't panic."
"But it's my fault," she cried quietly. "They followed the key."
Liam cupped her face gently. "Evelyn, look at me."
Her eyes met his.
"We can escape," he said firmly. "But you need to trust me."
She nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Liam wiped them with his thumb.
"We're getting out of here. Together."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the back exit.
But just as they reached the door—
A loud metallic clang echoed above.
Someone had dropped into the building through the ventilation shaft.
Evelyn froze.
Footsteps echoed across the metal walkway.
And then a familiar voice drifted down:
"Evelyn Hart…"
Her blood turned to ice.
She looked up.
Standing on the metal railing, dressed in a dark coat, face half-hidden in the shadows—
Was Rowan.
But his eyes were no longer the same.
They were colder.
Sharper.
Almost… victorious.
"You shouldn't have run," Rowan said slowly.
"They're not the only ones coming for you."
Liam stepped in front of her, muscles tensing.
"Rowan," he growled, "if you come any closer—"
Rowan smirked.
"You won't stop me, Liam. You never could."
The lights flickered.
The air thickened.
And Evelyn finally understood:
Astraeus wasn't her only enemy.
Rowan had his own plans for her.
And she had just stepped into the center of a war she barely understood.
---
END OF CHAPTER 13