The countdown numbers on the massive digital screen flashed bright red, dropping past thirty seconds while the self-destruct alarms blared through the underground vault. I coughed as thick white smoke started pouring out from the base of the central glass terminal, stinging my eyes and filling the air with the sharp scent of burning plastic. "The whole sector is going to blow up in less than half a minute!" Mara shouted, rushing over to the heavy metal door at the back of the room that Chloe had just unlocked. She grabbed the handle and pulled with all her weight, but the door wouldn't budge an inch. "It's jammed! We're locked in!" "It isn't jammed," Chloe said. She stood calmly in front of the blindingly bright gla

The silver blade in our father's hand dripped with dark blood, catching the dim red glow of the emergency lights. I stood frozen on the stone floor, staring up at the man on the steps. Ten years. For ten long years, my sister and I had carried his memory like a holy shield. We believed he was a hero who died fighting a corrupt system. We believed he was the victim of a cruel trap set by men like Vane and the High Judge. Now, he stood right in front of us with glowing yellow eyes, holding the knife that had just taken the Judge's life. "Dad?" I said again, my voice shaking so badly I could barely form the words. "You're... you're alive? But how?" Our father did not smile. He did not drop his weapon. His face remained

A loud, piercing alarm shrieked from the central console, flashing a harsh red light across the ruined courtroom. I stared at the big screen where the countdown numbers were ticking down very fast from sixty minutes. The air in the room felt heavy and hot. Outside the shattered windows, thick black smoke rose into the morning sky from the center of the lake like a giant monster waking up from a long sleep. "Protocol Omega," Mara said, stepping closer to the desk while keeping her eyes fixed on the screen. She gripped her iron pipe tightly. "What does that mean for us, Chloe? Is the whole city going to blow up?" Chloe did not answer right away. She stood very still in front of the terminal, her fingers resting lightly on the cold glass. Her face was pale, but her eyes were sh