The stale air of the subway tunnels clung to their skin, a cold reminder of the city's forgotten veins beneath their feet. Dorian’s pulse hammered in his ears as he tried to steady his breath, the man's face burned into his memory. Caleb—their unexpected ally—was more than just a contact; he was a wild card thrown into a game where trust was a rare currency.“We don’t have time,” Caleb said, eyes sharp in the dim light. “Voss is mobilizing fast. The Archive’s forces will be here within minutes.”Lana adjusted her grip on the data drives, sweat slicking her palms. “Then we move. Now.”Jay scanned the tunnel behind them, the distant echo of boots growing louder. “They’re closing in. We can’t outrun this forever.”Rhea nodded, pulling a battered map from her jacket pocket. “There’s an old service elevator just ahead. It leads to a maintenance access point above ground. If we can reach it, we might escape the immediate threat.”Dorian glanced at the flickering lights overhead. “And where

The north district was a sharp contrast to the crumbling streets and shadowed alleyways of the southside. Here, the city wore a polished mask of prosperity: glossy skyscrapers pierced the night sky, their windows gleaming like eyes watching everything below. Neon signs flickered above cafes and clubs that spilled the laughter and music of the city’s affluent. Yet, beneath that gloss lay a simmering tension — a battlefield for power where money and secrets played more lethal games than guns.Dorian moved with practiced caution, his senses heightened, each step calculated. Years ago, he’d walked these streets with a different purpose — chasing dreams, not ghosts. Now, every familiar corner whispered warnings: old allies who might betray, enemies hiding in plain sight, and the ever-present threat of Voss’s reach extending even here.Mara flanked him, eyes sharp as she surveyed the crowd. “This is where the real war is fought,” she said quietly, “in boardrooms, behind velvet curtains, whe

The cold dawn filtered through cracked windows, casting long, fractured shadows over the safehouse. The team sat scattered in the dim light, exhaustion etched into every face. But the weight of the night’s revelations pressed heavier than any fatigue.Dorian rubbed the sting in his shoulder, grimacing as he remembered the bullet’s near miss. The adrenaline rush was fading, leaving a raw ache — a reminder of how close they’d come to losing everything.Across the room, Lana broke the silence with a sharp laugh that barely hid her nerves. “So, our mole doesn’t just flirt with danger — she practically invites it in with a red carpet.”Jax chuckled, the tension briefly easing. “Yeah, and here I thought my worst day was dealing with a corrupt city council.”Mara shot them a warning glance but couldn’t suppress a smirk. “We can joke later. Right now, we need answers.”Dorian stood and walked to the interrogation room where the woman — the mole — was held. Her eyes met his with a strange mixt