The quiet inside the Covenant's compound felt suffocating, like the stillness before a storm. Serena's heart thudded in her chest as she and Rebecca pressed their backs against the cold stone wall just outside the prisoner wing. The explosive charges they had planted were set, and the countdown timer on Serena's watch was ticking away with a relentless inevitability.
In less than two minutes, the entire storage facility would erupt in flames, sending the guards scrambling to contain the chaos. It would be their only chance to get to Alexander. They were running on a knife's edge, and Serena could feel the weight of every second slipping away.
Rebecca crouched beside her, eyes narrowed as she checked the corridor ahead. "You think Adrian's jammer is still holding?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"It better be," Serena replied, glancing at her watch again. "If their security systems come back online before we get to Alex, we'll be dealing with more than just a few guards."
Rebecca nodded, her jaw set. "We're almost out of time. The explosion will go off soon."
Serena adjusted the strap of her pack, her fingers brushing over the wrapped artifacts—the *Sangreal* and the *Crux Ignis*. Even now, hidden inside the bag, she could feel the faint, unsettling hum of their power. The very things they had risked everything to steal were now both their greatest weapon and their greatest liability.
"I've got your back," Rebecca said, her gaze flicking to Serena with a quiet intensity.
Serena gave a quick nod, steeling herself for what came next. "Let's move."
Just as they started toward the door to the prisoner wing, a low rumble reverberated through the walls. The ground beneath them trembled, and then a distant, thunderous boom shattered the stillness. Serena's heart raced as the explosion rocked the compound, the blast echoing through the halls like the crack of lightning.
The storage facility had gone up in flames.
"Go, go, go!" Serena hissed, sprinting toward the door with Rebecca close behind her.
The compound erupted into chaos. Shouts filled the air as guards rushed toward the source of the explosion, alarms blaring as red warning lights flashed overhead. The Covenant's forces would be focused on containing the fire, but Serena knew their window of opportunity was small. Very small.
Serena and Rebecca moved swiftly through the hallways, navigating the labyrinthine corridors that led to the high-security cells. According to Adrian's intel, this was where the Covenant kept their most valuable prisoners—those they wanted to control but couldn't afford to eliminate. Serena could only hope Alex was still alive.
They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with a pair of Covenant guards, their rifles raised in alarm. Serena reacted on instinct, drawing her silenced pistol and firing two quick shots. The guards crumpled to the ground without a sound.
Rebecca stepped over the bodies, her face grim. "Let's hope that's the last of them."
"It won't be," Serena muttered. "Stay sharp."
They continued down the corridor, the sound of chaos still echoing through the compound behind them. The air was thick with tension, every corner a potential trap, every sound a threat. But Serena pushed the fear aside, focusing on the task at hand. They were close now—she could feel it.
Finally, they reached the door to the high-security cells. Serena's heart pounded in her ears as she approached the control panel. Adrian had given them the codes to bypass the locks, but there was no guarantee they would work. If something went wrong now…
"Cover me," she whispered to Rebecca, who nodded and positioned herself to watch the hallway.
Serena punched in the code, her fingers trembling slightly as she waited for the door to unlock. For a moment, nothing happened. The seconds stretched out like an eternity, and Serena felt a cold knot of dread twist in her stomach.
Then, with a soft click, the door slid open.
Serena exhaled sharply, her pulse racing as she stepped inside the darkened room. Rows of cells lined the walls, each one sealed with thick steel bars. The air inside was cold and oppressive, filled with the heavy weight of silence.
"Alex?" Serena called out, her voice low but urgent. "Alex, are you here?"
For a moment, there was no response. Panic clawed at her chest. What if they were too late? What if the Covenant had moved him somewhere else?
"Serena…?" A faint voice came from one of the cells at the far end of the room.
Serena's heart leaped, and she sprinted toward the sound. As she reached the cell, her breath caught in her throat. There, sitting against the wall, battered but alive, was Alexander. His clothes were torn, his face bruised, but his eyes—those sharp, determined eyes—were still as defiant as ever.
"Alex!" Serena gasped, her hands gripping the bars. Relief flooded through her, but it was quickly followed by the cold realization that they were still deep in enemy territory. "Hold on. We're getting you out of here."
Alexander looked up at her, a weak smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Took you long enough," he said, his voice hoarse but filled with his usual sarcasm.
Rebecca rushed over, pulling out a small tool to hack the electronic lock on the cell. "We've got to move fast," she said, her fingers working quickly. "The explosion bought us time, but they'll figure out we're here soon."
Serena knelt beside Alexander, her heart pounding as she took in the extent of his injuries. "Can you walk?" she asked, her voice tight with worry.
Alexander winced but nodded. "Barely. But don't worry, I'll keep up."
With a soft beep, the lock disengaged, and the cell door swung open. Serena helped Alexander to his feet, supporting him as he steadied himself.
"We need to get out of here," Rebecca said, her eyes scanning the room. "The guards will be back any minute."
Serena nodded, her grip on Alexander tightening as they made their way toward the exit. Every step felt like a race against time, the threat of discovery looming over them like a shadow. But Serena's mind was focused on one thing: getting Alex out alive.
They retraced their steps through the compound, moving as quickly and quietly as they could. The sound of the explosion had died down, but the alarms were still blaring, and Serena knew the Covenant wouldn't be distracted for long. They had to get to the extraction point before the security forces regrouped.
As they neared the side exit, Serena's pulse quickened. They were almost there. Freedom was just beyond that door. But as they approached, a figure stepped into the hallway, blocking their path.
It was Kieran, the Covenant's second-in-command.
"Well, well," Kieran said, his voice cold as ice. "I must say, I didn't expect you to be so bold. But you've made a grave mistake coming here."
Serena's heart sank as Kieran raised his hand, signaling to the guards behind him.
They were trapped.
The walls were closing in, and the window of escape was shrinking.
But Serena wasn't about to give up now.
Not after coming this far.
With the *Sangreal* and *Crux Ignis* still in their possession, and Alex barely able to stand, they were out of options. But Serena knew one thing: if they went down, they would go down fighting.
She glanced at Rebecca, who met her gaze with the same steely determination.
"Let's finish this," Serena whispered.
And with that, they charged forward, ready to face whatever came next.