Starr let Byte's words hang in the air, the soft echo of them settling deep in her chest. For a moment, she closed her eyes, the tension in her body easing as the weight of the night seemed to press down a little less. The rain outside had slowed to a gentle drizzle, and the quiet hum of Night City, distant but always present, served as a backdrop to their conversation.
"I don't know how," Starr finally said, her voice quieter than she intended. She hated admitting it—hated how much she had relied on herself for so long that the idea of depending on someone else felt alien, like a weakness she couldn't afford.
"You don't have to know," Byte responded, her voice warm and steady, like a tether keeping Starr from drifting too far. "Just… don't shut me out. We'll figure it out together."
Starr leaned her head back against the cold metal beam, her fingers running over the rough texture. Together. That word felt foreign, but Byte made it sound almost… possible. For once, Starr allowed herself to entertain the idea that maybe, just maybe, there was more to life than the endless contracts, the killing, the running from one gig to the next. She'd been a ghost in this city for so long—maybe it was time to stop running.
"Byte," Starr began, the uncertainty in her voice breaking through the hardened mercenary facade she'd built. "I've been thinking… after all this is done, after the Juno gig… maybe we could—"
The sound of a distant siren interrupted her thoughts. Starr's eyes snapped open, the raw vulnerability she had allowed herself to feel quickly replaced by cold instinct. The city was stirring again, and her moment of peace had passed.
"What was that?" Byte asked, her tone suddenly more alert.
Starr scanned the shadows of the garage, her senses heightened. "I don't know. But I've got a bad feeling."
"Militech might be moving on you already," Byte warned. "You need to get out of there."
"Yeah," Starr replied, standing up straight, already moving back toward her Quadra. "You're right."
As she slipped back into the driver's seat, she glanced at the rearview mirror, her reflection staring back at her with the same hardened edge she'd worn for years. But beneath it, she could see the cracks. The cracks that Byte had managed to find, and Reaver had only made worse.
"Stay close," Starr said into the comms as she revved the engine. "We might have more company soon."
"Always," Byte replied softly.
The Quadra roared to life, the sound echoing through the empty garage as Starr peeled out into the streets of Night City. The rain had slowed to a soft drizzle, but the city was still alive with its neon pulse, shadows lurking in every corner. As she weaved through the slick streets, she knew one thing for certain—there were no clean breaks in Night City. Not for her. Not for anyone.
But maybe, just maybe, there was still a way out.
As the city's lights stretched endlessly before her, Starr pushed the thoughts of Reaver, Rafa, and the lingering threat of Militech to the back of her mind. Byte's voice was still there in her ear, a reminder that she wasn't alone in this, no matter how much she'd tried to convince herself otherwise. For the first time in a long time, Starr didn't feel like she was walking through the city as a ghost. She had an anchor. Someone who was willing to fight for her, even when she wasn't sure she could fight for herself.
It wouldn't be easy—there was too much blood on her hands, too many enemies waiting in the wings. But for the first time, Starr didn't feel like she was just surviving. She had something worth holding onto.
And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to keep her going.
End of Chapter 7