The night air was thick with tension as Kaius and Ella moved cautiously through the shadows, their breaths shallow. The remnants of the explosion still echoed in the distance, and the tunnels behind them had become a chaotic mess of rubble and dust. But this was different. This time, Kaius felt something far more sinister in the air.
As they moved further into cover, Kaius's mind was surrounded by a sea of red strings. They twisted and pulsed, pulling him in every direction, a tangled mess of warnings. His vision blurred with the intensity of it, the pressure mounting inside his skull. He could hardly breathe.
"Kaius, what the hell is going on?" Ella whispered, her sharp tone cutting through his haze. But she hadn't seen it yet—hadn't felt what he was feeling. The strings, they were everywhere, crowding his senses, suffocating him with a danger he couldn't pinpoint.
And then he heard it—a voice, soft and familiar.
"Calm down, Kaius. Focus."
Kaius froze, his heart skipping a beat as the voice cut through the chaos. It was Gareth. His father's voice, gentle and reassuring, the same voice that had guided him through countless moments of doubt. But this wasn't just a figment of his imagination—it felt real. More real than it had in weeks.
"You're stronger than before, Kaius. You need to focus."
Kaius blinked, the red strings that had been swirling wildly around him slowly starting to realign. His heart pounded in his chest as he took a deep breath, his mind clearing just enough to regain control. Gareth's voice guided him, grounding him in the moment.
The strings… they weren't just random. They were forming a pattern, lining up in a straight line ahead of him. Kaius's breathing steadied as he began to see through the chaos.
But something was wrong.
Amidst the red strings, another color caught his attention—something he had never seen before. A string that pulsed with a mixture of red, purple, and yellow. It felt foreign, dangerous, and utterly unlike anything he had encountered. His gut twisted, and a chill ran down his spine.
Ella, sensing his unease, shot him a questioning look.
"Kaius, what—"
He moved quickly, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her into the shadows, his hand covering her mouth. Ella's eyes widened in surprise, her usual sarcasm flickering in her gaze as she raised an eyebrow. What the hell are you doing? her expression seemed to say, but Kaius was too focused to explain.
He pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for absolute silence. Ella's expression shifted from confusion to understanding, though her eyes still gleamed with a hint of defiance. Typical Ella, never rattled, always on her toes. But Kaius wasn't taking any chances.
Something's coming.
The feeling was unlike anything he'd experienced before. The strange string, the one with the terrifying mix of colors, was pulsing stronger now, its energy radiating through his bones. This was more than a warning—it was an instinctual alarm, screaming at him to stay hidden.
Then they heard it.
A low, cold voice cut through the darkness, its tone sharp and commanding, dripping with authority. Kaius's blood ran cold as the words echoed through the tunnel, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Kill everyone on the spot. Free fire. Capture only the kid with the powers—we need him alive. Confiscate all documents you find."
The weight of the words hit Kaius like a ton of bricks. His breath hitched in his throat as the full scope of the danger became clear. Whoever this man was, he was no ordinary CyberWatcher. His presence was just power, authority—a force that commanded fear and obedience.
Kaius felt his heart race as he peeked from the shadows. Through the dim light, he could make out the figure of a man walking with slow, deliberate steps. His coat was long and dark, and his face obscured by a mask with a glowing, Y-shaped symbol etched across it. His arms were folded behind him, each movement precise and purposeful. Surrounding him were several CyberWatchers, standing at attention, their weapons ready.
Ella shifted beside Kaius, her breath hot against his hand as she stared in the same direction, her body tense but still. The weight of the situation hit her just as hard as it did Kaius. She wasn't making a sound, wasn't even breathing too loudly. She knew this was no joke.
Kaius kept his eyes trained on the man, his mind spinning. Who the hell is he? The energy radiating off this man was more dangerous than anything Kaius had ever felt. It was as if the air itself bent to his will, the shadows bowing in submission as he moved.
"I don't want mistakes," the man continued, his voice steady and terrifyingly calm.
"The boy must be alive. The rest are expendable."
One of the CyberWatchers stepped forward.
"Understood, Commander Thrane."
Commander Thrane.
Kaius clenched his fists. So this was the man behind it all. The leader of the CyberWatchers—the one pulling the strings. And he wasn't just after any rebel or defector. He was after him. They needed him alive. His powers… they wanted to use him.
Kaius's pulse quickened, his mind swirling with possibilities. Why? What did they want with him? What was it about his abilities that made him such a target?
Beside him, Ella's hand twitched, and Kaius tightened his grip on her arm, silently pleading for her to stay still. Don't make a sound. Don't give us away.
Commander Thrane paused in the middle of the tunnel, his head tilting slightly as if he sensed something. Kaius's breath hitched again, his body going rigid as he watched the commander turn toward their hiding spot. The strings pulsed furiously, warning Kaius of imminent danger.
But Thrane didn't move closer. After a long, tense moment, he simply turned away and continued down the tunnel, his CyberWatchers following in perfect formation.
Kaius let out a slow, shaky breath as they passed, the tension in his muscles loosening just slightly. He glanced at Ella, who had been watching him the entire time, her eyes wide with something between awe and disbelief.
"You okay?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kaius nodded, though he wasn't sure if "okay" was the right word. His heart was still racing, his mind reeling from the encounter. Commander Thrane… just the sound of his name sent a fresh wave of fear through him. What the hell do they want with me?
"We need to get out of here," Ella said quietly, her voice steady but urgent.
"Now."
Kaius nodded again, still shaken, but he knew she was right. They couldn't stay here. Not with Commander Thrane and the CyberWatchers so close. They had to move—and fast.
But even as they started to slip away into the shadows, Kaius couldn't shake the image of that strange, multicolored string. It had felt different, more dangerous than any string he'd ever seen before. And as he and Ella crept deeper into the tunnels, the weight of that mystery pressed down on him like a lead weight.
They had escaped for now. But something told Kaius this was far from over. Commander Thrane wouldn't stop until he had what he wanted.
And Kaius had no idea if he was ready to face what was coming next.