The tunnels stretched on forever, like some kind of nightmare maze. Every step crunched with broken glass and rubble, every breath burned with ash.Davion’s shoulders ached from keeping Rami steady, but he refused to let go. Not again. Not ever.“Fun fact,” Rami wheezed, his voice barely stronger than a whisper. “Carrying your best friend through a death tunnel should count as cardio.”“You’re not my best friend,” Davion muttered.“Lies,” Rami grinned weakly. “Who else would you risk your tragic hero muscles for?”“Rami, shut up before I drop you.”“Promises, promises.”Beverly rolled her eyes, but the tiniest smirk tugged at her lips. She walked ahead, blade dragging sparks along the wall like she was daring the tunnel itself to try her.Lina kept glancing back, hugging her laptop to her chest even though it was half-scorched. “Guys… I think Genesis is pulling energy again.”“What does that mean?” Maya asked, nerves lacing her voice.“It means,” Lina said slowly, “if we don’t cut the

The first soldier lunged, metal arm slicing the air. Davion ducked, pipe clanging against steel. The shock rattled his bones, but he shoved back with a snarl.“Okay, yeah—ow!” he yelled, shaking out his hand. “That thing’s solid!”“Really?” Maya snapped, dragging Rami behind a broken console. “What gave it away, Davion—the fact that it’s literally made of metal?!”Rami wheezed out a laugh even as blood spotted his shirt. “He’s not wrong though. That looked like it hurt.”“Shut up and don’t bleed out!” Maya barked, fumbling with a half-broken gun she’d scavenged.Beverly spun, her blade sparking as it clashed against another soldier’s implants. She gritted her teeth, shoving forward. “Focus! We can’t take them all head-on—cut their wires, aim for the tubes!”“Uh, kind of busy not dying over here!” Lina yelped, ducking as one of the soldiers swiped at her. Sparks flew as its claws ripped into the wall.Davion jumped in, pipe smashing into the glowing tubes running along its back. The li

Davion hated the way everyone stared at him as they walked through the camp. It wasn’t even subtle. Soldiers paused mid-step, whispers sliding through the air like little knives. That’s him. The son. The weapon.He clenched his jaw and kept his head down. Beverly stayed close, her hand brushing his every so often like a quiet reminder: I’ve got you.Captain Nyla didn’t slow down. She cut through the camp like she owned it, braid swinging, boots crunching gravel. Everyone moved for her.Maya muttered loud enough for Davion to hear, “Someone’s clearly watched too much Divergent.”“Shut up,” Lina whispered, smacking her arm.They reached a tent bigger than the rest. Inside, maps covered the walls, red strings crisscrossing like some serial killer’s mood board. A generator hummed, casting shadows that made everything feel ten times more dramatic.Nyla turned, crossing her arms. “Sit.”Nobody sat.Maya smirked. “Wow, bossy. Do you come with a volume control or nah?”Beverly gave her a look

The rain started at midnight. Hard, relentless, hammering the roof of the cabin like it wanted to break through. Everyone was on edge already, and the storm wasn’t helping. Lina sat curled up by the window, watching lightning split the sky. Her phone buzzed nonstop, but the battery was dying, and she was clutching it like a lifeline. “Look,” she whispered, showing the screen. A shaky livestream—thousands of people in the streets, chanting Davion’s name, holding up hand-painted signs. ‘We believe you.’ ‘Shut Iron Hand down.’ Wilson whistled low. “That’s… insane. You went viral, man. Like—legend status.” Davion was propped up against the wall, his arm still wrapped in bloody bandages Beverly had switched out three times. His eyes flicked to the screen, then back down. “Not sure being a legend helps when you’re hunted,” he muttered. “You’re not just hunted anymore,” Beverly said flatly, kneeling by the fire they managed to spark. “You’re a threat. That’s different. And it’s

They didn’t go home. None of them even suggested it. Once you said we’re going to war tomorrow, it felt wrong to just… crawl into bed like everything was normal.Instead, they holed up in Wilson’s cousin’s abandoned garage. The place smelled like oil and dust, but it was hidden, and that was all that mattered.Wilson dropped his backpack with a dramatic sigh. “Well, this is cozy. Nothing says final stand against a psychotic cult like a garage with a dead rat in the corner.”Beverly rolled her eyes, dragging an old blanket into the middle of the floor. “Shut up and make yourself useful.”Reika leaned against the doorway, watching everyone without saying a word. Her hood was down now, dark hair falling in her face, but her eyes kept flicking toward Davion like she was trying to figure him out.Lina sat cross-legged on the blanket, arms wrapped around herself. She looked tiny, fragile, like she might break in half if anyone touched her. Beverly sat down beside her without asking and nudg