The room they found themselves in was tight, barely big enough to fit the three of them side by side. The walls were cold metal, and a dim, flickering light overhead was the only source of illumination. Alex's heart was still racing from the near miss with the drones. He looked at Lyra, who seemed equally tense but ready, and then to Kael, who was already scanning the room for an exit.
Kael found a narrow, rusted door on the far side of the room and gave it a light push. It groaned in protest but creaked open, revealing another dimly lit corridor. He turned to Alex and Lyra. "The Warden's control room should be through here. We have to be careful; this is where things get serious."
Lyra frowned. "So far, it's all felt pretty serious."
Kael gave a wry smile. "Trust me, that was just a warm-up. Beyond this door, we'll be heading into their core operations. It's where they keep all the data, where they manage everything in this sector. It's the most heavily guarded area in the Nexus."
Alex adjusted his grip on his staff. "Good. Then we're right where we need to be."
The corridor beyond the door was narrow and seemed to stretch endlessly, dimly lit by flickering overhead lights. Kael moved ahead, leading the way, with Alex and Lyra close behind. The tension in the air was palpable; every step felt like it could be their last.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached another heavy door, this one with a digital panel beside it. Kael knelt down, examining the panel, his fingers moving quickly over its surface. "I need a moment to get this open," he whispered. "It's a biometric lock… high security."
Alex glanced around nervously. "Hurry. I don't like standing still for too long here."
Lyra nodded in agreement. "Yeah, feels like we're sitting ducks."
Kael continued working, his face a mask of concentration. The seconds ticked by, feeling like hours. Finally, there was a soft beep, and the door clicked open. Kael grinned. "Got it."
They slipped through the door into a massive, dark room filled with rows of glowing monitors and screens, each displaying streams of data, surveillance footage, and holographic maps of the Nexus. The control room was alive with the hum of machinery and the quiet murmur of voices in the distance.
Kael motioned for them to stay low as they moved between the rows of monitors. "The main terminal is at the far end," he whispered. "That's where we'll find the data on my sister… and maybe more."
They crept forward, keeping to the shadows. As they moved, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. He glanced up at the surveillance cameras mounted high on the walls, their red lights blinking ominously.
Lyra noticed his gaze. "Think they've spotted us?" she whispered.
Alex shrugged. "Not yet, I hope. But we should move fast."
Kael reached the main terminal and immediately began tapping away at the keyboard, his eyes focused on the screen. "Give me a minute," he muttered. "I need to hack into their mainframe."
Mainframe, he thought to himself, with a small grin, reminding him of the nico. If only he could use his friend's skills right now.
Lyra rolled her eyes slightly. "No pressure or anything."
Alex kept his eyes on the doors. "We don't have a minute, Kael."
Suddenly, the door they had entered through burst open. Several heavily armed Wardens stormed in, weapons drawn. "Intruders! Hands up!" one of them shouted.
Alex cursed under his breath. "Kael, whatever you're doing, do it faster!"
Kael's fingers flew over the keys, and with a final tap, the screen lit up with a series of files. "Got it!" he exclaimed. "Downloading everything now!"
Lyra raised her hands, summoning energy. "Hurry up, Kael!"
The Wardens moved closer, their weapons trained on the trio. Alex gripped his staff tighter, preparing for a fight. "Kael, we're out of time!"
Kael nodded, pulling a small device from his belt and slapping it onto the terminal. "Alright, data's downloading. Cover me!"
Alex stepped forward, raising his staff. He focused, and a pulse of energy shot out, knocking the closest Warden off his feet. Lyra followed with a blast of her own, sending another Warden sprawling.
The Wardens opened fire, blaster shots filling the air with bright flashes of light. Alex and Lyra ducked behind the monitors, returning fire with bursts of energy. Kael stayed crouched by the terminal, glancing nervously at the device as it beeped and flashed, slowly counting down.
"Come on, come on…" Kael muttered under his breath.
Alex glanced back at him. "How much longer?"
Kael grimaced. "Thirty more seconds!"
"We don't have thirty seconds!" Lyra shouted, dodging a blaster shot.
Alex gritted his teeth, focusing his energy. "I'll buy us some time. Lyra, cover me."
He stepped out from behind the monitors, raising his staff. With a burst of power, he created a shimmering barrier of light, blocking the Wardens' shots. He could feel the strain immediately, his energy draining fast.
Lyra fired another blast, hitting a Warden in the shoulder. "Kael, hurry!"
The device beeped one final time, and Kael grabbed it. "Got it! Let's go!"
They turned and sprinted toward the far exit, with Alex maintaining the barrier as long as he could. It flickered and began to fade, but it held just long enough for them to reach the door.
They burst through into another corridor, slamming the door shut behind them. Alex collapsed against the wall, breathing heavily. "That… was too close."
Kael held up the device, a grin on his face. "But we got what we came for."
Lyra smiled, despite the tension. "Yeah, but we're not out of the woods yet."
Kael nodded. "True. But now, we've got the data we need. We just have to figure out what it all means… and how to use it against them."
Alex pushed himself up, determination in his eyes. "Then let's get somewhere safe, and start digging. We've got work to do."
They moved on, deeper into the maze of the Nexus, knowing that their fight was far from over.