The dimly lit hallway seemed to stretch on endlessly, each footstep echoing louder in the silence that followed their escape. Ayla’s breath was ragged, her muscles burning from the sprint, and she could feel the weight of Hayes’ limp body leaning against her. Every part of her screamed to keep moving, to push harder, but she could hear the sound of their pursuers coming closer—footsteps pounding through the complex, signaling the storm that was about to break.She wasn’t going to make it out without a fight. They both knew it.“Keep going,” Ayla ordered, her voice low but firm as she helped Hayes stumble forward. His skin was cold to the touch, sweat beading on his forehead despite the chill of the underground. Blood stained his clothes, seeping through the fabric. His breaths came in shallow gasps, and it was clear that the injury was taking its toll.“I’m not leaving you behind,” Hayes rasped, his voice hoarse. Despite the pain, he gritted his teeth and moved with renewed effort. “Y

The echo of gunfire still rang in Ayla’s ears as she tugged Hayes forward, her breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts. The tunnel was alive with chaos, the flashing lights from the gunfire casting erratic shadows along the damp, concrete walls. They couldn’t stay here. Not with Dante’s men closing in.Her heart pounded as her mind raced. There were only two options now: fight their way out or make a break for it. And the clock was ticking. Every moment spent in this tunnel was another moment closer to Dante’s reinforcements arriving, and if they didn’t get out soon, it would be over for both of them.“Hayes, stay with me,” Ayla said, her voice low and urgent as she pulled him along. His body was heavy against hers, and she could feel him struggling to keep up.“I’m not going anywhere,” he muttered, gritting his teeth against the pain. His hand was trembling as he clutched his side, but he was still moving, still trying.“Good,” Ayla replied, though her mind was already thinking ahead.

Ayla sat in the dimly lit room, her back against the cold wall as she stared at Hayes. The rhythmic sound of his shallow breathing was the only thing breaking the silence, but her mind was far from peaceful. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Lena’s presence had shifted the balance of their struggle.For a brief moment, she allowed herself to relax, letting the tension in her shoulders ease. Hayes was alive. That was the most important thing right now. But there was still so much more to consider.Lena’s cryptic words echoed in her mind. You’re the only one who can stop the Ravens.Ayla’s thoughts were interrupted when the door creaked open, and Lena stepped inside, her movements calculated and smooth, as if she’d been a part of the shado

Ayla stood motionless as Caleb's words settled in the room like dust after an explosion."If you want to take down the Ravens, you have to understand their true power. And that starts with me."Lena's eyes narrowed, her hand drifting subtly toward her sidearm. Hayes, despite still recovering, shifted uneasily. Ayla, however, didn’t move. Her heart was pounding, but her mind was sharper than ever.“What do you mean it starts with you?” she asked, voice low but steady.Caleb stepped away from the window, folding his arms. “You know the Ravens as a criminal empire, built on data, money, and fear. What you don’t know is who gave them the blueprint for that empire.”Ayla’s stomach dropped. “You?”Caleb nodded. “I was their architect. Years ago, before I disappeared, I helped them build the digital infrastructure that shields their operations. The shell companies, the AI surveillance, the invisible accounts—you name it. I created the backbone of the Raven Protocol before it was even called

The silence after the storm was deafening.Smoke curled from Ayla’s jacket as the trio stumbled out of the catacombs. Emergency sirens wailed distantly from somewhere in the city above, but down here, in the heart of the ancient ruins, only the ragged sound of breathing and the fading echo of collapsing systems remained.They had done it.Syphon was down.But the taste of victory was bitter.“Status,” Ayla barked, clutching her side where a shard of debris had grazed her ribs.Lena grimaced, checking Hayes’s arm. “Superficial wound. Nothing he hasn’t had worse in training.”“Thanks,” Hayes muttered, “but I preferred the training without the psychotic cyber-witch trying to carve me up.”Ayla allowed herself a half-smile before pulling out the backup comm unit. Caleb had promised a secure line for extraction. She flicked it on.“Shadow Team to Nest. Target neutralized. Need immediate evac.”Crackling silence.Then a voice responded—but it wasn’t Caleb’s.It was a synthetic voice. Chilli