A Second Chance by the System

Chapter 22: Shadows in the Depths

The voice echoed in Ethan's mind, haunting and cold. He froze mid step, his pulse pounding in his ears as the distant words hung in the air.

"You’re not the only one hunting tonight."

Aisha and Jared must have heard it too; their eyes widened, faces pale with a shared sense of dread. The tunnels were supposed to be abandoned, forgotten by everyone but the engineers who had long since moved on. But the System had eyes everywhere. Mara’s voice if that had been her suggested a far more dangerous and intimate awareness of their movements.

"Who else would be hunting us?" Jared whispered his voice tight with fear.

Aisha’s fingers danced over her data pad again, anxiously scanning for surveillance signals or any indication of movement. "There’s nothing… nothing I can pick up," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Ethan’s jaw clenched. He didn't trust the quiet. "Doesn’t mean we’re alone."

The shadows around them felt thicker, heavier, like they were closing in from every directio