The high-frequency whine of the drill bit into the bunker’s hull, a sound like a dentist’s nightmare amplified ten thousand times. Dust rained from the ceiling."They're not just drilling," Wei Xian said, his voice tight. "They're cutting us into a coffin."Gabriel checked his pistol, sliding a fresh mag into the well with a sharp clack. "How long until that wall gives?""Maybe five minutes," Wei Xian replied, shoving a heavy duffel toward the hatch. "Beng, grab the waterproof kits. Sarah, you too. We’re heading for the harbor.""The harbor? Wei, the whole coast is a deathtrap," Sarah protested, her voice bordering on a shriek."It’s better than being turned into Swiss cheese by a tactical thermal lance," Wei Xian snapped. "Beng, the boat?""Hidden behind the drainage outlet, just like you said," Ah Beng replied, his face ghostly pale. "But the water... you saw the news before the grid went down. The 'floaters' are everywhere.""We don't need to swim," Gabriel said, stepping toward th

The air outside turned into a toxic, swirling caustic soup, forcing them to slam the armory doors and scramble back toward the bunker’s deeper chambers. Wei Xian stumbled, his side searing with every breath, while Gabriel moved with that same unsettling, predatory grace.They slammed the heavy steel bolt into place. The bunker shuddered as a massive chemical cyclone slammed into the surface above."You look like hell, Tan," Gabriel breathed, bracing himself against the bulkhead. He pulled his vest off, his skin shimmering with that faint, unnatural heat."I’m just getting started," Wei Xian countered, his voice raspy. He leaned against the wall, sliding down until he hit the cold floor. "You okay? The red in your eyes... it’s still burning."Gabriel stepped over, his shadow looming large in the dim emergency light. "It’s not just the eyes. It’s my blood. It’s like it’s boiling under my skin.""The hybrid sync," Wei Xian muttered, his hand hovering over his holster before dropping to h

The bunker floor buckled, a jagged shard of concrete spraying toward the ceiling as a massive, obsidian-black carrier descended through the storm, its thrusters turning the rain into boiling steam."Whatever that is, it isn't an extraction team," Gabriel said, his hand already on his sidearm."That’s a private-sector stealth cruiser," Wei Xian replied, his voice strained as he pulled himself up from the debris. "No markings. No ID. They’re effectively ghosting the entire radar grid.""Ghosting? They’re practically setting the sky on fire," Gabriel muttered.A hiss of pressurized gas signaled the opening of the bunker's main external hatch—not by their own hand, but by an external override code. The heavy doors groaned, folding backward like paper. A tall man in a pristine, white tactical suit stepped in, flanked by four soldiers whose movements were so synchronized they looked like reflections of one another."Major Koh. Commander Tan. You look terrible," the newcomer said, checking h

The figure on the throne of bone didn’t move, yet his voice seemed to resonate from the very walls of the tunnel. It was Wei Xian’s voice—hollow, echoing, and stripped of all warmth."Welcome home, Commander," the double repeated.Wei Xian felt his knees buckle. The water lapped against his thighs, freezing and slick with oil. Beside him, Gabriel stiffened, his fingers locking onto the grip of his pistol."That’s a neat trick," Gabriel muttered, his gaze darting between the shadows. "Is it a hologram? A twin? Or are we finally losing it?""It’s not a trick," Wei Xian whispered, his HUD flickering with frantic, red warning triangles. "It’s a recording. A playback of a loop I’ve already run. Gabe, I’ve been here before. I died right on that catwalk.""You died here?" Gabriel turned, his expression sharpening. "You didn't mention being dead.""I was busy trying to stay alive," Wei Xian snapped, wiping freezing water from his face. "Look at the patterns in the sludge. The way the Stalker

The cannon’s hum rattled the very marrow in Wei Xian’s bones."Any ideas, Commander?" Gabriel shouted, his voice barely audible over the mounting screech of the charging weapon. "Because if we don’t move, we’re going to be atoms in about five seconds!"Wei Xian stared at the burning carrier, his vision swimming with red status bars. "I’m working on it! My HUD is pinging a civilian refueling barge—it’s drifting, but it’s loaded with enough volatile fuel to breach their hull.""A suicide run?" Gabriel stepped in front of him, shielding him from the impending blast. "That’s all you’ve got? A suicide run?""It’s not suicide if we survive the landing!" Wei Xian snapped, his teeth gritting together as a fresh wave of agony rolled through his skull."I like your optimism, Tan. It’s delusional, but I like it." Gabriel pulled him toward the harbor edge. "Huat! You still have that ferry, or did you sell it to the void?"Big Brother Huat scrambled out from behind the wreckage, clutching a satche