The alarms started the moment Isla opened her eyes.
Searing red lights strobed across the facility walls, casting everything in bloody flashes. Sirens wailed, sharp and dissonant, rattling the air. Layla didn't need to be told what it meant.
They knew.
The enemy knew Isla was awake.
Cole cursed, already pulling Layla and Isla to their feet. "We need to move—now!"
Rhea didn't flinch at the chaos, her expression irritatingly calm. "Of course. We've stirred the nest." She gestured toward the steel hallway, where mechanical groans echoed closer with each pulse of the siren. "And here come the wasps."
From the shadows, the walls split open. Drones emerged—sleek, black machines with jagged limbs and glowing red eyes. Their movements were sharp, unnatural, like predators sniffing blood.
Layla tightened her grip on Isla's arm. Her friend was still weak, body trembling from the mental battle. But her eyes—clear, steady—met Layla's with silent trust.
She wasn't broken anymore. Not completely.
"Cole," Layla said, voice firm. "Cover the rear. Rhea, guide us to an exit."
Rhea tilted her head. "Oh, now I'm the guide?"
"Do you want to stay behind?" Layla snapped.
Rhea smirked but said nothing, already moving.
The first drone lunged. Cole's fist lit up with fire, slamming into its chest. The explosion sent shrapnel spinning into the walls. He didn't stop, whirling and smashing the second, his body a wall of fury.
"Move!" he barked.
Layla dragged Isla forward, sprinting down the corridor. The facility stretched endlessly, every corner lit with flashing crimson. More drones poured from the ceiling vents, their claws scraping sparks against the steel.
"Faster!" Layla urged, heart pounding.
Isla stumbled, breath ragged. "I—I can't—"
"Yes, you can," Layla said, gripping her tighter. "One step at a time."
Behind them, Cole's fire roared. But even his strength couldn't hold forever. For every drone he destroyed, two more emerged.
Rhea darted ahead, pressing her palm against a wall panel. Her nails glowed faintly as she murmured something under her breath. The metal groaned, then split, opening a narrow maintenance tunnel.
"This way," she called.
Layla shoved Isla inside first, then followed, Cole sliding in last and slamming the panel shut just as claws scraped against it.
The sirens dulled, but only slightly. The tunnel was cramped, dark, reeking of oil and dust. Every sound echoed—a reminder they weren't safe yet.
Cole's breathing was harsh, his face slick with sweat. His fists still smoked faintly. "We can't keep running blind. Where the hell are you taking us?"
Rhea didn't even glance back. "Up."
"Up?" Cole snarled. "That's your plan?"
"It's the only way out. The higher we climb, the closer we are to an emergency hatch."
Cole muttered a string of curses, but Layla cut in. "Focus. Rhea's right. Moving up is better than being boxed in."
Isla stumbled again. Layla caught her, steadying her weight. "I'm slowing you down," Isla whispered.
"No," Layla said firmly. "You're alive. That's all that matters."
But in her gut, she knew the truth: Isla was slowing them down. And if the drones caught up—
She shoved the thought down. She wouldn't sacrifice Isla. Not again.
The tunnel sloped upward, but as they rounded a bend, a new sound met their ears: footsteps. Human, not mechanical.
Layla froze. Cole lifted his fists, fire dancing between his fingers.
From the shadows ahead, armed soldiers emerged, rifles glowing with the same static-light they'd seen inside Isla's mind. Their eyes were hollow, their movements too stiff. Controlled.
Layla's stomach dropped. These weren't just soldiers. They were puppets.
"Layla." Rhea's voice was low, cautious. "They're linked to the same hive that had Isla. If you kill them—"
"They die as slaves," Layla finished bitterly.
The soldiers raised their rifles.
Isla trembled beside her. "They're inside them. Just like they were inside me."
The air thickened with tension. Cole's fire blazed brighter, his rage spilling over. "Then let's burn the hive out of them."
"Wait—" Layla began.
Too late.
The soldiers opened fire.
Bullets of static energy tore through the tunnel, sizzling against the walls. Layla yanked Isla down, covering her with her own body. Sparks showered overhead.
Cole roared, unleashing a torrent of fire that filled the narrow passage. The soldiers screamed—not with human voices, but with the static shrieks of their controllers. Their bodies convulsed, charred, and collapsed.
The smell of burning flesh filled the tunnel.
Layla's chest ached as she stared at the fallen soldiers. Men and women—puppets, yes, but still human.
Isla's voice cracked. "That was supposed to be me."
Layla grabbed her hand. "No. You're free. We'll free them too—if we can."
Cole's fists trembled, the fire fading. He refused to look at the bodies.
But Rhea… Rhea smiled faintly, almost amused. "Efficient, if nothing else."
"Shut up," Cole snarled.
The tunnel ended at a vertical shaft, a ladder bolted into the wall. Above them, faint daylight shimmered through a grate.
"That's our exit," Rhea said.
Layla shoved Isla toward it. "Climb. I'll cover you."
Isla hesitated but obeyed, trembling hands gripping the cold rungs. Rhea followed next, her movements unnervingly graceful.
Cole lingered at Layla's side. "You first."
She shook her head. "You're stronger. You cover the rear."
Their eyes met, a silent argument passing between them. Finally, Cole cursed under his breath and started climbing.
Layla turned back.
The tunnel behind them was glowing red. The drones had found them.
"Move!" she shouted, scrambling up the ladder.
The drones surged forward, their claws scraping the walls, eyes burning.
Layla climbed faster, lungs burning, heart slamming. Above, Isla's trembling voice cried out, "I can't lift the grate—it's stuck!"
Cole shoved her aside, muscles straining. With a roar, he ripped the grate free, tossing it aside. Daylight flooded the shaft.
"Go!" he barked.
Isla scrambled out first, Rhea after her. Layla climbed faster, but the drones were already scaling the walls beneath her. One lunged, its claw slicing across her leg. Pain seared, but she didn't stop.
Cole's hand shot down, grabbing her wrist. With one yank, he hauled her out onto the surface.
They collapsed into sunlight—real sunlight, warm and blinding. For one fleeting second, Layla breathed.
Then the ground trembled.
They weren't alone.
Rows of soldiers surrounded the facility's rooftop, rifles raised. Drones swarmed the air above, their shadows blotting out the sky.
And at the center stood a figure draped in black, face hidden behind a mask of shifting static.
The hive's voice spoke through them, echoing like thunder.
"You think you've escaped. But we are endless. And now—we've found our new door."
The figure raised a hand, and every soldier's gaze snapped toward Isla.
Her face went pale.
"No…" she whispered.
Layla stepped in front of her, fists clenched. "You're not touching her again."
The static figure tilted its head. "Then fight us. But know this—every strike you make kills one of your own."
The soldiers raised their rifles in perfect unison, eyes dead and hollow.
Layla's stomach dropped. It wasn't just a battle anymore.
It was a nightmare with no right answer.