404//Reboot

The decision came fast. Liora barely had a second to process before Nyx moved—quick and decisive, stepping out from the cover of the alley.

"Standing around won't do much, will it?" he muttered before breaking into a run. She hesitated for only a breath before exhaling sharply and following after him.

The Clan member—Blaze—was gaining on one of the runners, but something about the fleeing figure made Liora's heart pound.

Then, when he turned slightly, the dim light caught the mark on his neck.

A Fractured Halo tattoo—its broken circle illuminated by tiny, embedded LED nodes.

The Ascended.

As they skidded around a corner, Nyx picked up speed, Liora barely a step behind.

"We should cut them off." Her voice was steadier than she expected.

Nyx glanced at her, surprise flickering across his face before he grinned. "Didn't peg you for the hands-on type. Alright."

They quickly split, Liora maneuvering through a side path, predicting the escape route. Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she pushed forward.

Then—impact.

One of the Ascended slammed into her as she turned the corner. They both tumbled to the ground, but before he could recover, Nyx and Blaze were already there, cornering him against the wall.

You're outnumbered now. Liora slowly pushed herself up, chest rising and falling as she caught her breath.

"Wait—wait! I—" The man's breath hitched as Blaze pressed an arm against his neck, pinning him in place.

"This is the last time I'm fucking asking," Blaze growled. "What are you doing here?"

"I wasn't—" the man swallowed hard, sweat glistening against his temple. His gaze flickered past Blaze, landing directly on Liora. And then—

His eyes widened.

"No," he whispered, as if seeing something impossible. "It's you."

Liora stiffened. A cold prickle ran down her spine. "What?"

"You—" His voice wavered, his hands shaking. "Blue Rose. That's you, right? You weren't supposed to—" He caught himself, terror flashing across his face. "No. No, this is wrong. You were—"

A sharp pressure stabbed through Liora's skull. The world tilted. Her breath came shallow, the edges of her vision tinged in electric blue and violet.

Blue Rose?

The streetlight flickered—then burst. A nearby surveillance drone twitched midair, then abruptly changed course, its targeting system locking onto the Ascended member.

"Wait—no!"

Before anyone could react, the drone fired. Blaze barely had time to release his grip, stepping back to avoid the spray of blood as the Ascended member crumpled.

The metallic scent filled Liora's senses, but she barely registered it. Her knees buckled, the static in her head surged. Someone grabbed her arm—Nyx, maybe. Voices blurred—distant, muffled, unreachable.

Her neon-colored eyes dulled before closing completely, darkness swallowing her vision.

"Shit," Nyx hissed, adjusting his hold on her as she collapsed entirely.

Blaze cursed under his breath, glancing between the unconscious girl and the now motionless Ascended member. "What the fuck just happened?"

"No idea," Nyx admitted, though his grip on Liora tightened. "But we need to move. Now."

Blaze exhaled sharply before nodding. He quickly searched the Ascended member for anything useful, pocketing whatever seemed valuable.

Then, without another word, they left the body behind, slipping into the shadows before more trouble found them.

The hideout door shut behind them with a heavy clang, sealing them away from the chaos of the streets. The metallic scent of blood still clung to Liora's senses, even in unconsciousness.

Blaze exhaled sharply, rolling his shoulders as tension lingered in the air. His gaze flickered from Liora to Nyx's composed demeanor.

"You sure bringing her back is a good idea?"

Nyx adjusted his grip, offering a lopsided smirk. "We'll find out soon enough."

Elsewhere, a screen flickered to life, casting an eerie glow on a darkened room.

The feed distorted momentarily before stabilizing—a grainy, overhead surveillance recording of the alley. Of Liora.

It paused at the precise moment her eyes glowed, the drone responding to her unconscious command. The footage stuttered, then looped, replaying the activation again. And again.

"She's waking up," a voice murmured—calm, calculating with greed.

Another presence shifted in the shadows. Their voice, quieter but intentions loud as if a grand ceremony is held, "Blue Rose is alive."

Darkness.

Then, a flicker of something—white light, sterile walls, shadows moving beyond a glass pane.

A voice followed, cold and clinical. "You are an anomaly. A necessary one."

The static surged, drowning the voices out—Liora gasped awake, the traces of the dream fading like echoes in the void.