Kael pressed himself against the cold brick wall of another alley, rainwater pooling at his feet. His breath came in quick bursts, his chest rising and falling as if it were trying to keep pace with his racing thoughts.
The distant hum of Purifier reinforcements grew louder, their mechanized footfalls echoing through the labyrinth of the city. Kael let out a low chuckle—sharp, bitter, and entirely out of place.
"Would you look at that," he muttered to himself, a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Barely an hour into my new life, and I'm already the most popular guy in town."
The thought barely registered before a metallic whir buzzed dangerously close to his ear. A drone shot past, scanning the alley with a piercing red beam.
Kael ducked behind a pile of debris, clutching a discarded pipe he'd grabbed earlier. The drone hovered for a moment, its lens sweeping back and forth, before zipping away.
He exhaled, his grin widening. "Guess they weren't interested in an autograph."
---
Kael crept deeper into the alley, the flickering neon lights above casting distorted shadows on the wet ground. The city was alive with a faint hum, the sound of electricity coursing through its veins, but there were no people—only the omnipresent gaze of the System.
Turning a corner, Kael nearly collided with a figure.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, stumbling back, pipe raised instinctively.
"Keep it down, you idiot!" hissed the stranger, shoving him into the wall.
She was young, probably mid-twenties, with dark hair pulled into a messy braid and eyes sharp enough to cut glass. Her clothes were practical—tight, worn, and layered for mobility—but her presence radiated an unshakable confidence.
"And who might you be?" Kael asked, his grin never wavering despite the knife she held to his neck.
"Someone who doesn't have time for this," she shot back. Her free hand pulled a small device from her belt, and she jabbed it into Kael's ribs.
A sharp pulse of electricity coursed through him. His body seized for a second, then relaxed as the device sputtered and died.
Her expression shifted, confusion flashing across her face. "What the—"
Kael grabbed her wrist, twisting the knife from her hand with surprising ease. "I wouldn't recommend poking me again," he said with a disarming smirk. "Not unless you want a second opinion on how effective that thing really is."
---
"Who are you?" she demanded, stepping back to put some distance between them.
Kael leaned casually against the wall, twirling the knife between his fingers. "That's a complicated question, sweetheart. One I'm still trying to figure out myself."
She scowled, clearly unimpressed. "You're a Glitch."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh good, someone's finally told me what I am. And here I thought I was just having a really bad day."
The woman rolled her eyes, muttering something under her breath. "You're going to get me killed, standing out here like this."
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you," Kael shot back.
Before she could respond, the distant hum of reinforcements grew louder. Her head snapped toward the sound, her expression hardening.
"Follow me," she ordered, not waiting for a reply.
Kael shrugged and jogged after her, the smirk still plastered on his face. "Lead the way, stranger. I'd hate to get killed before we've properly introduced ourselves."
---
The woman led him through a series of winding alleys and hidden passages, her movements swift and practiced. Kael did his best to keep up, but his chest still ached from the earlier fight, and his muscles screamed in protest.
They finally ducked into a small, nondescript building, the door hissing shut behind them. The woman activated a panel on the wall, and the room was bathed in a soft blue glow as holographic locks slid into place.
Kael collapsed onto a worn-out couch in the corner, letting out a theatrical groan. "Well, this is cozy," he quipped, gesturing to the sparse room. "Got a minibar too, or is this a BYOB kind of place?"
The woman ignored him, crossing the room to a cluttered workstation. Multiple monitors displayed lines of code, pulsing diagrams, and System data. She began typing furiously, her fingers a blur across the keyboard.
Kael watched her for a moment, then leaned back with a sigh. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell me your name, oh mysterious savior of mine?"
She glanced over her shoulder, her expression guarded. "Aya."
"Nice to meet you, Aya," he said, flashing her a grin. "I'm Kael, in case you were wondering."
"I wasn't," she replied flatly, turning back to her work.
---
Minutes passed in tense silence, broken only by the hum of the monitors and the faint sound of rain against the roof. Kael's grin faded as he studied her.
"Why'd you help me?" he asked finally.
Aya paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. "I didn't," she said without looking at him. "I helped myself. A Glitch showing up here puts me at risk too. If they find you, they'll find me."
Kael chuckled softly. "And here I was, thinking we had a moment."
Aya shot him a glare. "Don't get comfortable. You're still a liability."
Before Kael could respond, an alert flashed across one of her monitors. Aya cursed under her breath.
"They've locked onto your signature," she muttered, typing faster.
"Signature?" Kael echoed, standing. "I thought I was 'unauthorized.' Isn't that supposed to make me invisible or something?"
Aya gave him a withering look. "It makes you unpredictable, not invisible. The System doesn't like loose ends."
"Join the club," Kael said with a smirk.
Aya ignored him, her focus entirely on the screen. "If they breach this sector, we're done. Stay here while I figure out how to shut their tracking system down."
Kael frowned, crossing his arms. "And what if I don't feel like playing the obedient houseguest?"
Aya sighed, turning to face him. "Then you die. Quickly."
Kael tilted his head, his grin returning. "Fair enough. But just so you know, I'm not great at staying put. It's a personality flaw."
Aya didn't respond, turning back to her work. Kael settled back onto the couch, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.
"Looks like we're off to a great start," he murmured to himself, his voice tinged with humor despite the tension.