A spark. A jolt.
The moment her fingers grazed his arm, the air itself seemed to recoil. Her veins pulsed with a sharp energy that was too quick to avoid and too late to reverse its course. The man tensed up, his breath catching in his throat, and then he fell apart like a puppet that has been cut off.
Nearby neon street signs flashed desperately displaying error figures in a variety of languages. The holograms on the corroded walls faltered, between distorted features and static noise, voices shattering like glass.
A security drone whined, its red eye flaring to life as it registered an anomaly, before crashing towards the ground.
She stumbled backward, heart hammering against her ribs. What the hell just happened?
The man on the ground convulsed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His wide eyes locked onto hers—not with anger, not even with pain, but pure, unfiltered terror.
She had done this.
Footsteps pounded in the distance. Shouts. Shadows moving fast. Someone had seen this. Someone was coming.
Run.
Her legs didn't need convincing. She bolted down the rain-slicked alley, despite the eerie, familiar sense the place gives her body. The neon lights stuttered as she passed, casting her shadow in glitching fragments.
Until she slammed against a warm, solid figure, the force almost pushing her down if it weren't for the hands steadying her.
"Hey." The deep voice vibrated through her—calm yet edged with something unreadable.
Liora threw her head up, her pulse pounding. The flickering lights slightly illuminated the man's face, revealing a strong jawline and eyes that alternated between amusement and calculation.
His Xen-Link quickly lit up, glitching in sync with the broken city lights. But he pays no attention to this crappy-acting device.
"That was quite the mess you made back there," he murmured, tilting his head toward the commotion behind her. "And here I thought the city was broken enough already."
Her skin tingled at the way he spoke; smooth and unbothered, like though he knew worse. He wasn't a mere witness.
His grip on Liora tightened before he clicked his tongue and finally let go.
"Flux—man, what the fuck?!"
Another figure stepped into the dim light, his sharp eyes darting between Liora, Flux, and the alley behind them. His breath was uneven, his own device suddenly flashing red.
Liora hardly had time to comprehend his presence before she felt sick to her stomach at what he said next.
"Drones. Two blocks out."
Flux swore under his breath while the neon signs flickered again. The second guy—taller, clearly unamused by the situation—then jerked his chin toward her.
"She's with you?"
"I'd say 'it's complicated,' but—"
A mechanical whir cut through the rain. The little drones could catch up any minute now. No more time for questions.
The taller guy grabbed Liora's arm and ran, with Flux already following behind them.
"Run now," he murmured to her. "Questions later."
They sprinted through the rain-slicked alleys, twisting through forgotten passageways until Flux yanked open a rusted door, both guys shoving her inside.
The heavy clang of metal sealed them in, cutting off the wail of sirens and the distant whir of drones—but the silence was heavier with the weight of too many unanswered questions, all aimed at her.
"Who the hell are you?" the second guy demanded, the cold click of a gun hammer punctuating his words.
Flux, on the other hand, grabs a worn-out chair and slouched into it, looking entirely unbothered. "You know, it's funny how you ask her that when she doesn't even know you either."
He fished a cigarette from his pocket, the flame of his lighter glowing against his face. Liora blinked, her gaze lingering on the thin roll between his fingers and watching as smoke curled lazily into the stale air.
People actually put those in their mouths? She had only ever seen old ads and faded holos about them, but never in real life.
Flux caught her staring and smirked. "What, never seen one before?"
"Quit flirting, you ass."
Before she could answer, the door creaked open again. The sound of footsteps echoed in the cramped space, and in seconds, she was surrounded.
'There's more of them?!' The thought lingers through her mind.
They stepped into the dim light one by one, their presence carrying an unspoken authority. Each of them so distinctly different, yet all moving the same, like a pack assessing a prey.
One of them narrowed his eyes. "This her?"
"Flux found her with the drones on her tail," the second guy uttered, gun still in hand but now lowered.
Another crossed his arms. "So? Who is she?"
Liora tried opening her mouth. No words came out.
She had a name—yes, but everything else? She didn't know.
Why the drones were after her? Why she felt an eerie sense of déjà vu standing here? Why her own reflection in the shattered glass on the floor felt unfamiliar?
The silence stretched out as everyone waited, until someone scoffed. "Oh, great! Another stray."