The siblings moved swiftly through the lab, their breaths shallow and tense as they worked to understand and, if possible, disarm the bomb. The air was thick with the device's hum, its pulsing glow growing more intense with each passing second. It cast an eerie light that flickered across their faces, revealing the mix of determination, fear, and frustration etched into their expressions.
"Be careful," Nola warned, her voice tight as she crouched near the bomb, her hands hovering just above it. Her anomalyte activated, soft waves of energy radiating from her palms as she tried to analyze its composition and possible deactivation mechanisms. "It's… intricate. Too intricate. There are layers of energy here. Any tampering could make it go off."
Ronan stood a few paces back, his jaw clenched. "What about teleporting it out of here? We could drop it in an empty field—"
Nola shook her head quickly, not even glancing up. "No. There's a failsafe. The moment it moves, it'll detonate. It's designed to stay put."
Flames flickering around his fingers in anticipation, Gavin asked, "What if we burn it? I mean, melt the thing to slag."
"That'll only make it worse," Nola replied sharply. "We'd be feeding it more energy. Fire's not an option."
Amelia paced impatiently behind them, her fists clenching and unclenching. "We're wasting time," she muttered. "There has to be a way to destroy it." She stepped closer, a spark of her anomalyte energy igniting in her eyes. "I could crush it."
"Don't even think about it!" Nola snapped, her voice cutting through the tension. "Breaking it might destabilize the energy core. It'll explode faster than you can react."
Amelia gritted her teeth, fury simmering under the surface. For once, she didn't argue back. The stakes were too high.
Meanwhile, Leo stood at the entrance, keeping watch for any approaching figures. His eyes flickered with dim light, tapping into the edge of his dimensional anomalyte, prepared to act if needed. But even he seemed unsettled, glancing back at his siblings every few moments.
Amidst all the tension, Nachtan found himself drifting. No one paid him much attention, not even Nola, who had ordered him to stay aside. He wandered through the lab, poking at odd devices and instruments, most of which made no sense to him. He spotted a stack of papers with strange symbols—symbols that reminded him of something he'd seen in Kael's lab. It was… familiar. The memory gnawed at him, a mix of intrigue and unease.
He continued, moving deeper into the lab until he stumbled upon a fridge. The door creaked as he opened it, revealing fresh food—a rare sight in such a hidden place. Bread, fruits, even neatly wrapped packages of cheese. His stomach growled, and without much thought, he grabbed a piece of bread, tearing into it. It was soft and warm, a stark contrast to the surrounding chaos.
His eyes caught a glimmer from the corner of the fridge—a small, formless object shifting between shapes: a sphere, a cube, a tesseract-like structure. It pulsed with a faint glow, exuding an energy unlike anything he'd felt before. He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring no one was watching, then reached for it. The surface cools against his skin. On a whim, he took two, slipping them into his pocket.
Back near the bomb, the tension had only worsened. Nola was still focused, sweat beading on her forehead. Amelia paced, biting back every urge to act recklessly. The others stood ready, each grappling with their sense of helplessness.
Then they heard it—footsteps echoing in the hallways outside. The rhythmic clink of boots against metal floors. Amelia's eyes widened, and she immediately turned to search for Nachtan. She found him wandering back, crumbs still on his lips, and pulled him roughly toward the group. "We need to go. Now."
"But the bomb—" Nola started.
"If we get caught here," Amelia hissed, "we'll be blamed. No one's going to listen to the truth."
They began moving quickly, but the tension and haste made every movement feel slow. As they reached the edge of the lab, a soft thud sounded behind them. Nachtan's heart sank as he realized one of the objects he'd pocketed had slipped free. It rolled across the floor, bouncing lightly before coming to a halt—right next to the bomb.
The air crackled, energy sparking and twisting as the object connected with the bomb's core. The glow of the device intensified, blindingly bright, and the hum became a deafening roar.
Time seemed to slow as the siblings exchanged panicked looks. And then, with a sudden, cataclysmic surge, everything exploded in a blinding wave of energy and sound.
The deafening explosion left the air thick with dust and the metallic taste of energy discharge. As the rumbling subsided, the siblings slowly rose from where they had been thrown, each of them coughing and disoriented. Bits of debris still crumbled around them, and sparks crackled in the remains of the lab.
Amelia wiped soot from her face and turned to the others, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. "We are in really big trouble."
"No shit," Nola replied, her voice dry but laced with panic. She glanced around, taking stock of their surroundings—the roof of the building had been blown apart, and chunks of metal and stone were scattered everywhere. Through the haze, Amelia's gaze followed Nola's, and her breath caught.
People were gathering in the streets below, their faces a mix of shock and horror. Some pointed, shouting, while others began pulling out communicators. A few eyes turned upward, and it was clear—they had seen the siblings amidst the wreckage.
"We have to go," Amelia hissed, her voice sharp with urgency.
Nola grabbed Nachtan's hand without a second thought, her grip firm but protective. "Come on!" she said, and they all broke into a run, their feet pounding against the remnants of the building as they made their escape. The wind whipped at their faces, the city's lights blurring past as they fled.
They raced through narrow alleyways and twisting streets, each step echoing their desperate need to disappear. Every shout, every distant siren felt like it was closing in on them. Amelia led the way, her movements fast and precise, with Gavin and Ronan close behind. Leo's footsteps were quieter, almost ethereal, as if his body drifted between dimensions even as he ran. Nola kept Nachtan close, guiding him through the labyrinthine paths of the city.
At the edge of Nexuria's border, the familiar sight of an old, semi-abandoned shooting range loomed ahead—a futuristic structure that had seen better days. Its neon lights flickered weakly, casting an eerie, intermittent glow. It had once been a popular spot for training and gaming, but now it was mostly forgotten, save for those who knew its secrets.
The siblings slipped through a broken side door, the metal creaking as they entered. Inside, the air was stale, and the once-polished surfaces of the range were now covered in dust and graffiti. Rows of holographic targets lined the walls, some still flickering to life now and then, casting faint shadows. The place held memories—of simpler times, of games and reckless challenges when the world felt just a little less heavy.
Amelia leaned against a cracked pillar, catching her breath. "We can't stay here forever," she said, her voice strained. "But it'll do for now."
Nola nodded, her eyes scanning their surroundings. "Just until things calm down. We'll figure it out."
Nachtan's chest heaved as he tried to steady his breathing. He clung to Nola's hand a little longer than he needed to before letting go. His gaze wandered, taking in the dim, familiar sights—the faded scoreboards, the warped targets that flickered in and out of focus. This place had once been an escape, but now it felt like a hiding spot for fugitives.
"Why here?" Ronan muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Out of all places?"
"Because," Nola replied, her voice firmer now, "it's the last place anyone would think to look."
The siblings exchanged glances. The weight of what they'd done—what had happened—settled over them like a heavy blanket. All they could do now was wait, regroup, and hope that no one found them too quickly.