The neon glow of New Omo City flickered like dying embers against the dark skyline. Lin Yuan and Evelyn moved swiftly through the labyrinthine backstreets, their breath coming in ragged gasps. The echo of their hurried footsteps bounced off the crumbling walls of abandoned buildings, swallowed by the oppressive silence of the Ghost District.
Lin Yuan's fingers instinctively clenched around the Core hidden beneath his jacket. It pulsed faintly, as if resonating with the city itself, a constant reminder of the burden he carried. He could still feel the weight of Victor Kain's cold, calculating presence. The Covenant of Shadows wouldn't stop. Not now. Not ever.
Evelyn shot him a sidelong glance. "We need to find shelter. And fast. Kain won't give up that easily."
Lin Yuan nodded without breaking stride. "I know a place," he muttered, leading her through a winding alley that eventually opened up into a small, dimly lit basement entrance tucked beneath a crumbling old bookstore. He pushed the door open, and the two of them slipped inside.
The air inside was thick with dust and the scent of old paper. Flickering overhead lights revealed a room cluttered with maps, blueprints, and outdated surveillance equipment—remnants of Lin Yuan's long hunt for the truth.
Evelyn looked around, taking in the mess with a critical eye. "This where you've been hiding?"
Lin Yuan shrugged. "It's not much, but it's safe for now."
She sighed, dropping onto an old metal chair, running a hand through her auburn hair. "We need a plan, Lin. You know that, right? We can't just keep running."
Lin Yuan placed the Core on the table, its eerie glow casting long, wavering shadows across the room. "I'm done running," he said firmly. "It's time to find out what my father was working on… and end this."
Evelyn studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Let's start by figuring out what this thing actually does."
She pulled a portable diagnostic scanner from her bag and carefully positioned it over the Core. The device hummed softly as lines of data scrolled across its screen. Lin Yuan leaned in, watching intently.
After a few minutes, Evelyn frowned. "This… isn't just a power source, Lin. There are layers of encryption here that I've never seen before. Your father… he wasn't just trying to harness energy. He was protecting something inside it."
Lin Yuan's jaw tightened. "What do you mean?"
Evelyn tapped the screen, enlarging a section of the data. "See this pattern? It's not just a security measure. It's a self-destruct failsafe. If the wrong code is inputted, this thing could wipe out an entire city block."
Lin Yuan exhaled sharply, leaning back against the wall. "So that's why they want it so badly."
Evelyn's eyes met his. "The Covenant isn't just looking for power. They're looking for something your father buried inside this Core. Something they think is worth killing for."
Lin Yuan clenched his fists. The truth had been buried under layers of lies and deception for far too long. He had to get to the bottom of this—before it was too late.
A sudden knock on the metal door shattered the tense silence. Both Lin Yuan and Evelyn froze, exchanging wary glances. Evelyn silently drew her sidearm while Lin Yuan crept toward the door, pressing his ear against it.
"Lin Yuan," a voice called from the other side. It was low, but unmistakably familiar.
Lin Yuan's eyes widened in shock. "No… it can't be."
Without thinking, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. Standing there in the dim light was a figure he had long believed to be dead—Xu Wei, his father's former protégé and closest friend. He looked older, his face lined with deep-set wrinkles, but his piercing gaze remained the same.
"Hello, Lin," Xu Wei said, stepping inside. His gaze flicked to Evelyn, then to the Core on the table. "We need to talk."
Lin Yuan swallowed hard, his mind reeling. "How did you—? We thought you were—"
"Dead?" Xu Wei smirked bitterly. "So did the Covenant. But I've been in hiding, waiting for the right moment to surface. And it looks like that moment has come."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "Why now?"
Xu Wei ignored her and walked directly to the Core. His expression darkened as he studied it. "Your father entrusted me with something important before he died, Lin. Something I couldn't let the Covenant get their hands on."
Lin Yuan's pulse quickened. "What was it?"
Xu Wei turned to him, his eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and urgency. "A map. A map to the Architect's last sanctuary."
Lin Yuan's breath caught in his throat. The Architect. That name again. He had thought it was just a myth, a legend passed down through the whispers of black market traders and rogue scientists. But if Xu Wei had come out of hiding for this… it had to be real.
Xu Wei reached into his coat and pulled out a small, data-encrypted drive. "This contains everything your father knew about the Architect. But be warned… the Covenant is already closing in. They know you're getting closer."
Lin Yuan took the drive, his hands trembling slightly. "Then we don't have much time."
Evelyn leaned forward. "Where does the map lead?"
Xu Wei hesitated for a moment before answering. "To a place your father called The Obsidian Vault, buried deep beneath the old industrial zone. But it's not just a place, Lin. It's a trap. The Covenant built it to lure people like us in, to weed out those who know too much."
Lin Yuan's jaw tightened. "Then we'll have to be smarter than them."
Xu Wei placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your father always believed in you, Lin. But remember—this fight isn't just about revenge. It's about survival. You need to think beyond your rage."
Lin Yuan nodded, the weight of his mission settling heavily on his shoulders. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Evelyn stood up, sliding a fresh magazine into her gun. "Then we move now. The longer we wait, the closer they get."
Lin Yuan pocketed the data drive and picked up the Core, feeling its subtle pulse against his palm. "Let's end this."
As they slipped out into the night, the city loomed around them like an ominous giant, its shadows stretching far and wide. But Lin Yuan was done running. He had a destination now, and nothing—not the Covenant, not the ghosts of his past—would stop him from uncovering the truth.