The air in the Outer Rim felt heavier than before, as if the energy within the archive had followed them to the surface. The girl's legs wobbled with each step, her body still recovering from the intensity of the Core's pull.
"Are you sure she's ready to keep going?" Kael asked, his eyes darting toward the girl as they walked through a dimly lit alley.
"I'm fine," she said, though her voice betrayed her exhaustion.
Lyra shot her a skeptical glance but didn't press. "You're tougher than you look," she said. "That's good. The people who are after you won't care if you're tired."
The girl flinched at the reminder. Her vision from the archive still lingered in her mind—a city glowing with life, torn apart by something vast and violent. Who was the woman in her vision? And what did it have to do with the mark on her arm?
"I need answers," she said, her voice firm despite her fatigue. "If the Core is part of me, then I need to understand it. Lyra, you said the Core is memory. Whose memory? What does it want from me?"
Lyra chuckled softly. "The Core doesn't want anything. It's not alive in the way you think. But it's ancient—older than this city, older than the Techno-Mages who claim to control it. Its energy is like a river; it flows through everything, carrying pieces of everything it touches." She glanced at the girl. "If it's connected to you, then you're carrying something it left behind. A piece of the past, maybe… or the future."
Kael frowned. "Cryptic, as always."
"Cryptic is my charm," Lyra shot back.
Before the girl could ask more, Lyra stopped abruptly, raising a hand to signal silence. The faint sound of footsteps echoed from somewhere ahead.
Kael immediately reached for the weapon at his hip, his eyes narrowing. "We're being followed."
The girl's pulse quickened. "Who?"
"Let's find out," Lyra muttered, slipping into the shadows of a nearby alcove. She gestured for the girl to follow, while Kael positioned himself near the edge of the alley, his hand steady on his blade.
The girl crouched beside Lyra, her heart pounding. The footsteps grew louder, accompanied by low voices.
"…are sure she came this way?"
"Positive. The energy spike from the archive was unmistakable. She's here."
The girl's breath hitched. The voices were unfamiliar, but their intent was unmistakable.
Two figures emerged into the alley, their silhouettes sharp against the faint glow of the streetlights. Both were clad in dark, utilitarian clothing, with devices strapped to their arms that pulsed faintly with Core energy.
Techno-Mages.
Lyra's lips curled into a tight smile. "Of course, they'd send their lackeys to sniff around."
Kael tensed, his grip on his weapon tightening. "They're scouting. If they report back, we're in trouble."
"Not if we stop them first," Lyra said, her voice laced with mischief.
The girl's stomach churned. She wasn't ready for this—not another confrontation, not after the draining experience in the archive. But Lyra's plan didn't seem to involve waiting for her input.
With fluid precision, Lyra slipped out of the shadows and into the alley, drawing a small, sleek device from her belt.
"Lost, boys?" she called, her voice casual.
The Techno-Mages whirled, their devices sparking to life. One of them raised a hand, and a surge of energy shot toward her, crackling like lightning. Lyra dodged effortlessly, her own device emitting a shield-like barrier that absorbed the attack.
Kael moved next, stepping out of his hiding place with a speed that belied his size. His blade caught the light as he lunged toward the nearest Techno-Mage, forcing them into a defensive stance.
The girl stayed frozen in the alcove, her instincts screaming at her to run, even as something deeper urged her to fight.
"Don't just stand there!" Lyra shouted, blocking another strike. "Use that mark of yours!"
The girl's eyes dropped to her glowing arm. The Core's energy still buzzed faintly within her, but she had no idea how to control it. Her memories of the marketplace flooded back—how the energy had reacted to her fear, how it had surged to protect her.
But this time, it wasn't fear that gripped her. It was frustration. Frustration at her weakness, her confusion, her inability to act.
Gritting her teeth, she stepped out of the alcove and raised her marked arm. The energy within her stirred, hesitating for a heartbeat before surging outward in a blinding arc.
The alley lit up as the energy collided with one of the Techno-Mages, sending them sprawling to the ground. The other turned toward her, their eyes widening in recognition.
"It's her!" they shouted, before Lyra silenced them with a well-aimed strike.
The alley fell silent, save for the hum of the girl's mark as it slowly dimmed. She stared at the fallen Techno-Mages, her breath ragged.
Kael approached her cautiously. "That was… impressive," he said, his tone carefully neutral.
The girl shook her head, her hands trembling. "I didn't mean to—"
"You meant to survive," Lyra interrupted, wiping a smudge of dirt from her cheek. "And you did. That's all that matters."
The girl looked down at the mark on her arm, its glow now faint and subdued. The energy still pulsed within her, but it felt different now—less like a foreign force and more like… a part of her.
Kael's gaze swept the alley. "We need to move. If these two don't report back, others will come looking."
Lyra nodded. "Agreed. But first…" She crouched beside one of the unconscious Techno-Mages, rifling through their belongings until she found a small, glowing device.
"What's that?" the girl asked.
"Insurance," Lyra said with a grin. "Let's just say their little scouting mission won't go unnoticed by their superiors—and not in the way they intended."
Kael shook his head but didn't argue. "Let's go."
As they disappeared into the maze of alleys, the girl couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just become infinitely more complicated.