The night was darker than Elias had ever remembered. The city below them seemed to pulse with an eerie energy, the neon lights flickering like distant stars, obscured by a cloud of smoke and pollution. It was the kind of night that felt as though the world was holding its breath—silent, expectant, like something just beyond the horizon was about to shift.
Elias stood at the edge of the abandoned building they had been holed up in for the past two days, staring out at the sprawling metropolis below. His thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear, a mixture of dread and determination that kept him on edge. The Council was coming. He could feel it. He didn't need Lena to tell him that. Every shadow seemed to stretch longer, every passing car felt like an enemy, every noise a warning.
Lena was behind him, her silhouette blending into the darkness, her eyes scanning the street below with the intensity of someone who had been hunted far too long. Her presence was a constant reminder of the fragility of their situation. There was no safety. No comfort. They were always on the move, always looking over their shoulders.
For the first time, Elias truly began to understand the weight of the life he had been thrust into.
"Lena, how long can we keep doing this?" Elias's voice was low, his words thick with the frustration that had been building inside him. He didn't even recognize the person he had become since this nightmare started. Once, he'd been someone who woke up in his own bed, someone who lived a life he could understand. Now, he was a fugitive, a pawn in a game he didn't even know the rules to.
Lena didn't turn to face him. Her eyes remained fixed on the street, her expression unreadable. But he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw tightened. She had heard the question before. She didn't have the answers either. But that didn't stop her from pushing forward.
"Not long," she said finally, her voice like gravel. "But long enough. We just have to stay ahead of them."
Elias exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "That's not good enough. I can't keep running, Lena. I need to know what's going on. What they did to me. I need answers."
Lena turned, meeting his gaze with a look of quiet intensity. There was a strange mixture of pity and understanding in her eyes, but there was also something harder, something that told him she knew all too well how it felt to be caught in this web of confusion and fear.
"I know you do," she said softly. "I'm not leaving you in the dark on purpose, Elias. But right now, our priority is survival. The answers will come, but only when we're ready. We can't afford to be reckless."
His frustration flared. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"
Lena didn't flinch at his accusation. She knew what he was asking, and she knew it was a question she couldn't fully answer. Not yet.
"You don't want to know everything, Elias," she said, her voice tight. "Not yet."
The weight of her words hung in the air, heavy and unspoken. Elias opened his mouth to argue, but before he could speak, a faint sound interrupted them—footsteps in the distance, slow and deliberate.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He didn't need to look at Lena to know that she'd heard it too. She was already moving, her hand instinctively going to the sidearm at her hip.
Elias's heart rate spiked. He didn't know how long they'd been followed, but it was obvious now. The Council's agents were close.
Lena motioned for him to stay silent, her eyes narrowing as she peered through the grime-covered window. Elias did the same, his breath catching in his throat as he caught a glimpse of movement on the street below.
The agents were here.
Elias had learned quickly that the Council's operatives moved like ghosts—silent, calculating, and ruthless. They didn't make mistakes, didn't leave clues, and didn't hesitate when it came to eliminating their targets. The very thought of facing them sent a chill through his veins.
"How many?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Lena counted silently, her eyes flicking between the street and the building opposite them. She was analyzing the situation, calculating the odds. Elias could almost see the gears turning in her mind.
"Three," she finally said, her voice low but steady. "But there could be more. We don't have much time. We need to move."
Elias's stomach churned with a mix of fear and determination. They couldn't outrun the Council forever. But for now, they had one advantage—they knew the city better than their pursuers did.
"We go out the back," Lena said, her voice sharp, "through the alley. Stay low, stay quiet."
Elias didn't question her. They had done this before, slipping through the shadows like ghosts, always moving, always staying one step ahead. But every time it got harder. The closer they came to the truth, the more dangerous their every move became.
They moved swiftly, barely making a sound as they descended the stairs, avoiding the creaking steps as though they could betray them. The alley was narrow, choked with garbage and broken crates, but it provided cover. They didn't need much—just enough to stay hidden, just enough to get to safety.
As they crept through the alley, Elias couldn't help but feel the weight of the night closing in on him. He could hear his own breath, sharp and rapid, his footsteps silent on the cracked concrete. His mind was racing, torn between the urgent need to survive and the growing desire to uncover the truth about what had been done to him.
They reached the back of the building, where a fire escape ladder stretched up into the night sky. Lena motioned for Elias to go first. He hesitated for a moment, but she was already moving, her eyes scanning the street behind them for any sign of danger.
"Move," she said, her voice low but commanding.
Elias climbed quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. As he reached the top of the fire escape, he turned to look down at Lena. She was still watching the street below, her posture tense, her hand never leaving the weapon at her side.
Elias's eyes scanned the street one last time before he stepped onto the roof. The distant sound of sirens filled the air, but they weren't for them. The Council had no interest in making a show of their hunt. They wanted results, and if that meant silencing anyone who got in their way, they wouldn't hesitate.
Once they were both on the roof, Lena motioned for Elias to follow her. They moved quickly, staying in the shadows as they navigated the labyrinth of rooftops. The city sprawled beneath them, a maze of streets and alleys, a far cry from the life Elias had once known.
His thoughts were a blur, but one thing stood out—whatever this was, whatever he had become, it was no longer just about survival. It was about finding out the truth.
And no matter how dangerous it got, no matter how many times they had to run, Elias was starting to understand something fundamental. There was no running from the past. It had already caught up with him.
Now, it was time to face it.