The rumble beneath their feet was growing louder, the sound of approaching reinforcements echoing in the hall like a death knell. Jeremy’s heart hammered in his chest, a primal fear clawing at the edges of his mind. Time was running out. They were running out of time.Elijah had the masked figure pinned to the ground, but it was only a matter of seconds before more soldiers swarmed the area. Jeremy could hear the distant shuffle of boots, the faint echo of commands being shouted in the hallway. There was no time to waste. No more second chances.Maya’s eyes locked with his, and in that fleeting moment, there was no need for words. They both understood the urgency, the silent plea for survival. She was already moving, her gun raised, her expression set in grim determination.“Elijah, we need to move—now!” Maya shouted, her voice sharp with command. “Get him out of here!”Elijah hesitated for a moment, his grip still tight on the masked figure, but

The world seemed to pause, suspended in a moment of silent disbelief. The soldiers, their guns raised in deadly anticipation, didn’t know what to make of the blinding light that cut through the darkness of the collapsing tunnel. The whir of the helicopter’s rotor blades above created a sound that drowned out all else, but the sight of its spotlight cutting through the wreckage was almost like a beacon of hope—or a harbinger of something far more dangerous.Maya’s eyes locked onto the shadows, her gun still poised in her hand, but uncertainty flashed in her gaze. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered, half to herself, as she instinctively moved toward the nearest cover. They couldn’t afford to be caught in the crossfire.Victor’s cold laugh echoed through the ruins, but there was something unsettling in his voice. “You think you can escape? This is just another step in the game. I’m always two steps ahead.” His gaze flicked between the masked man and Jeremy, bu

Darkness swallowed them whole. The deafening crash of falling debris and the rumble of the collapsing tunnel surrounded them, leaving no room for anything but the thudding of Jeremy’s heart. His body slammed against the floor, his face pressed into the dirt and rock. His breath came in ragged gasps, his chest aching as the weight of the destruction closed in on him. Was he even still alive?The world was a blur of smoke and dust. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, couldn’t feel anything beyond the crushing pressure of the collapse.“Maya!” Jeremy shouted, panic clawing at his throat as he tried to push himself up, but the ground seemed to shift beneath him, unstable and treacherous.“Jeremy… Jeremy, I’m here,” came Maya’s voice, faint but clear, cutting through the chaos.Her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him upright with surprising strength. The world swam into focus as his eyes adjusted to the smoke-filled darkness. They were surrounded by debris,

The tunnel was darker than ever, the air thick with dust and the stench of collapsing rock. Every footstep Jeremy took echoed, amplified by the oppressive silence that followed them. Maya stayed close, her hand brushing against the rough walls for balance as they navigated the tight path. Each moment felt like it could be their last, with the ground beneath them threatening to give way at any moment. "Where do we go now?" Maya’s voice trembled, the fear she had tried to hide earlier now creeping into her tone. "That was our way out, Jeremy. We’re trapped.” Jeremy didn’t answer right away, his mind racing. His thoughts were still on the masked man. Was he alive? Had the cave-in been enough to bury him forever, or was he still fighting for control in the heart of that chaos? He couldn’t afford to think about that right now. There were more immediate dangers, ones that he couldn’t ignore. "We keep moving," he said finally, his voice grim. "W

Pain shot through Jeremy’s body as he crashed to the ground. His vision blurred for a moment, the world spinning in chaotic swirls of dust and stone. He gasped for air, but the overwhelming weight of the fall seemed to have knocked the wind out of him."Maya!" he shouted, struggling to push himself upright, his hands scraping against jagged rocks. The air was thick with dust, and his head pounded as if the world itself was collapsing on him.“Jeremy!” came Maya’s weak, strained voice. “I’m here.”He turned toward her, relief flooding him as he saw her moving, sitting up amid the wreckage. She looked disoriented but alive. Her face was smeared with dirt, her clothes torn, but she was holding on."Are you okay?" he asked, rushing to her side, helping her up. Her body trembled beneath his touch, but there was a fire in her eyes that wouldn’t die.“Just a bruise,” she said, forcing a grimace as she stood. “We need to move.”Jeremy di