Dust billowed in suffocating curtains as the armored transport carved a path through the valley, its treads crushing the skeletal remains of forgotten infrastructure. Rama didn't look back; he ducked into the jagged maw of the drainage tunnel, his boots splashing into a shallow, oily sludge that coated the concrete floor. Kael kept pace, her breath coming in ragged hitches as she jammed her pipe into the rusted locking mechanism behind them, forcing the heavy iron plate to wedge shut."We aren't going to outrun that thing on foot," Kael whispered, her voice tight with panic. "That’s a heavy-class scout. If they ping us again, they’ll level this whole block just to save themselves the trouble of a search."Rama didn't answer. He reached into his satchel, his fingers brushing against the cold, metallic canister of concentrated bean grounds. The system interface hovered in his vision, a sharp, golden projection casting light across his calloused palms.[SYSTEM ALERT: KINETIC FLUX DETECTE

The system chime still resonated in his skull, a jagged, discordant note that vibrated against his molars. Rama forced his breathing into a rhythmic cadence, pushing the lingering fatigue from his limbs. The fissure was damp, smelling of ancient wet earth and the metallic tang of the nearby Directorate perimeter. He didn't have the luxury of sleep. The crimson status light on his retinal display pulsed like a warning flare, indicating the Directorate had already synchronized his biometrics across every surveillance node in the sector. He wasn't just a rogue barista anymore; he was a national security threat."So, they’ve finally taken the gloves off," Rama muttered, his voice barely audible in the cramped dark. He tapped the interface, watching the map projections flicker. He needed more than just a win; he needed the raw materials to stabilize the volatile, crimson-tinted energy currently threatening to burn out his system. His attention locked onto a pulsing icon ten miles east: the

Rama didn’t flinch. He tightened his grip on the pulsating, jagged seeds, feeling the cold bioluminescent sap leak through his raw, torn palms to mingle with his own blood. The air between them hummed with the electric residue of the explosion still echoing in the cavern walls."You’re alone, Darat," Rama said, his voice raspy from the sulfurous smoke. "Sending your dogs to die wasn't enough? You had to come watch the carcass yourself?"The General stepped into the fading flicker of the blue flames, his boots crunching against the obsidian debris. He ignored the question, his eyes fixed on the glowing blue light leaking from Rama’s clenched fists. The man moved with a predator’s predatory calm, his hand hovering inches from the grip of his sidearm."I don't care about the carcasses, Rama. I care about the fuel. You’ve been burning through resources like a wildfire in a drought. It’s time you realized who owns the land you’re scorching."Rama shifted his weight, his scarred skin stingi