Neo-New York pulsed with an energy uniquely its own—a chaotic blend of neon lights, hovering digital advertisements, and the constant hum of drones patrolling the night. Underneath this chaotic beauty, Malcolm Voss moved like a shadow, his lean figure perfectly camouflaged among the city’s underbelly. Tonight’s target was a high-security corporate tower known as Helix Dynamics, a sleek glass fortress that loomed over the city’s darkened alleyways like a modern-day citadel. Malcolm’s mission was simple in theory: infiltrate, extract critical data, and vanish before the corporate watchdogs could raise the alarm.He crouched behind a dumpster near the building’s service entrance, checking his gear one last time. His heart beat in a steady rhythm, his breath even despite the adrenaline surging through him. Clad in a fitted black jacket, dark cargo pants, and well-worn combat boots, he blended seamlessly into the night. His eyes, a steely blue, scanned the entrance for any signs of unexpec

Malcolm Voss had spent years navigating the underbelly of Neo-New York, slipping through the cracks between corporate overlords and black-market syndicates. But tonight, for the first time in a long while, he felt like prey.The city had eyes everywhere—surveillance drones hovering like mechanical vultures, informants trading secrets in shadowy corners, enforcers watching from tinted glass towers. The message he had received was clear: Trust no one. Yet, as he followed Evelyn’s directions toward a hidden safe lab deep in the industrial district, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was already being hunted.The Parallax Syndicate never left loose ends.Moving through the neon-lit labyrinth of alleyways, Malcolm stuck to the shadows, his trained instincts guiding him. He had abandoned major roads, avoiding checkpoints and high-traffic areas where biometric scanners could easily flag his face. His burner ID chip—spoofed to register him as a low-tier dockworker—wasn’t foolproof. If the

Malcolm had broken into corporate facilities, government databases, and even high-security vaults. But Sector 12?That was another beast entirely.Located in the Lunar District, Sector 12 wasn’t just restricted—it was a fortress. The district was a remnant of the old world’s elite, an area once reserved for the ultra-rich before society fractured. Now, it was under strict military lockdown, controlled by a combination of corporate security, AI-driven drones, and elite mercenaries.And Lillian Carter was hiding in the middle of it.Back at Zeke’s safehouse, Malcolm studied a holographic projection of Sector 12’s layout. The towering skyscrapers, the tight patrol patterns, the biometric checkpoints—everything about it screamed impossible.Zeke, still recovering from their last run-in with the Syndicate, paced behind him. “Okay, so just to clarify—you wanna break into the most secure district in the city, past military guards and AI drones, just to find a woman who may or may not be will

The service tunnel was dark, lit only by flickering emergency lights and the dim glow of Carter’s wrist computer. The stale air smelled of rust and damp concrete. Malcolm led the way, pulse still pounding from their escape.Carter kept checking over her shoulder. “Think they’ll follow us?”Malcolm shook his head. “Not yet. The Syndicate’s got resources, but they won’t risk an all-out chase in an unsecured tunnel. They’ll wait until we surface.”Zeke’s voice crackled in their earpieces. “Okay, so, uh… where exactly are you guys headed?”Carter swiped at her wrist display, pulling up a holographic map. “There’s an abandoned transit station a mile south. If we can reach it, I have a safe house set up nearby.”Malcolm glanced at the blueprints. “We better move fast. If the Syndicate flagged our location, we won’t be alone for long.”They jogged through the tunnel, their footsteps echoing against the damp walls. Malcolm kept his gun drawn, scanning every shadow.Then—Click.He froze.Cart

The cold night air bit at Malcolm’s skin as he stood on the dimly lit riverbank, dripping wet, his gun still clutched tightly in his grip. They had escaped—but just barely.Zeke coughed and spit out god-knows-what from the murky river. “I swear, if I get some kind of mutant disease from that water, I’m suing the Syndicate.”Carter ignored him, clutching the data drive like her life depended on it. “We need to disappear. They won’t stop hunting us.”Malcolm scanned the dark streets beyond the alley they had emerged into. No patrols. No drones—yet. But he knew better than to get comfortable.“The safe house is compromised,” he muttered. “We need a new base. Fast.”Zeke exhaled. “Yeah, about that. I may have… burned most of our good hideouts already.”Carter shot him a sharp look. “You what?”Zeke held up his hands. “Hey, not my fault! The Syndicate’s been tracking my systems ever since we cracked that first encryption.”Malcolm clenched his jaw. They were running out of options.Then Ca