The slums of Terra Prime were a world unto themselves, a sprawling labyrinth of rusted metal, crumbling concrete, and flickering neon signs that buzzed like dying insects.

The air was thick with the stench of decay—rotting garbage, stagnant water, and the acrid tang of industrial waste.

It was a place where the Dominion's gleaming spires and pristine streets felt like a distant dream, a cruel joke played on those who had been left behind.

Euodias moved through the shadows like a wraith, her small frame cloaked in a tattered hooded jacket that had seen better days. Her once-bright eyes, now hardened by years of survival, scanned the narrow alleyways with a predator's precision.

She was no longer the trembling child who had fled the research facility that night. She was sixteen now, and the slums had taught her how to survive, how to fight, and how to disappear.

The data drive her father had given her hung on a cord around her neck, hidden beneath her clothes. It was the only piece of her past she had left, the only connection to the life that had been ripped away from her.

She didn't know what was on it, only that it was important enough for her parents to die for. Important enough for General Kael Drayven to hunt her for a decade.

She paused at the mouth of an alley, her sharp ears catching the sound of footsteps echoing in the distance. Dominion patrols rarely ventured this deep into the slums, but when they did, they came into force. She pressed herself against the wall, her breath shallow and silent, as a pair of soldiers in black armor marched past. Their helmets gleamed under the dim light of a flickering streetlamp, their plasma rifles held at the ready.

Euodias waited until they were out of sight before slipping out of the alley and into the open. The streets were eerily quiet, the usual bustle of the slums subdued by the presence of the patrol.

She moved quickly, her boots barely making a sound on the cracked pavement. Her destination was a derelict building at the edge of the district, a place she had called home for the past few months.

The building was a crumbling relic of a bygone era, its facade pockmarked with bullet holes and scorch marks. The entrance was hidden behind a rusted metal door that creaked ominously as she pushed it open.

Inside, the air was damp and cold, the walls lined with graffiti, and the floor littered with debris. She climbed the stairs to the third floor, her movements fluid and practiced, until she reached a room at the end of the hall.

The room was sparse, furnished with little more than a makeshift bed, a small table, and a few scattered belongings. A single window overlooked the slums, its glass cracked and grimy. Euodias dropped her hood and ran a hand through her short, dark hair, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of disturbance.

Satisfied that it was safe, she sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled the data drive from beneath her shirt.

The drive was small and unassuming, its surface scratched and worn from years of wear. She turned it over in her hands, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer. What was on it? Why had her parents died to protect it? And why had General Drayven been so desperate to get it back?

She had tried to access the drive before, but it was encrypted with a level of security far beyond her capabilities.

She had spent years scavenging for parts, building makeshift devices in an attempt to crack the code, but nothing had worked. The drive remained a mystery, a silent reminder of the life she had lost.

A sudden noise from the hallway snapped her out of her thoughts. She was on her feet in an instant, her hand reaching for the knife strapped to her thigh. The sound was faint but unmistakable—the soft creak of a floorboard underfoot. Someone was outside her door.

Euodias moved silently to the door, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed her ear against the wood, listening for any sign of movement.

There was a moment of silence, followed by the faintest whisper of fabric brushing against the wall. Whoever was out there was trying to be quiet, but they weren't as skilled as she was.

She tightened her grip on the knife and stepped back, her mind racing. She had no allies in the slums, no one who would come looking for her. If someone was here, they weren't friendly.

The door burst open with a crash, and two figures rushed in, their faces obscured by masks. Euodias reacted instantly, her body moving on instinct. She ducked under the first attacker's swing and drove her knife into his side, feeling the blade sink deep. He grunted in pain and stumbled back, but the second attacker was already on her, his hands reaching for her throat.

She twisted out of his grasp and slammed her elbow into his ribs, then followed up with a kick to his knee that sent him sprawling. The first attacker was still on his feet, blood soaking through his shirt as he lunged at her again. Euodias sidestepped his attack and brought her knife down in a swift, precise motion, slicing across his throat. He collapsed to the floor, his body twitching as he bled out.

The second attacker was struggling to get up, his movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Euodias didn't give him the chance. She grabbed a piece of broken pipe from the floor and swung it with all her strength, the metal connecting with his skull with a sickening crack. He went down hard, his body limp and unmoving.

Euodias stood over the bodies, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her hands were trembling, but her mind was clear. She didn't know who these men were or why they had come for her, but she couldn't stay here. The Dominion might not care about the slums, but someone did.

She grabbed her few belongings and stuffed them into a small pack, then slung it over her shoulder. The data drive was still clutched in her hand, its surface slick with blood. She wiped it clean and tucked it back into her shirt, her mind already racing with plans.

She couldn't stay in Terra Prime. Not anymore. The slums had been her refuge, but they were no longer safe. She needed to leave, to find a way off the planet and uncover the secrets of the drive. And when she did, she would return.

Not as a child running for her life.

But as the executioner delivering judgment.

Euodias slipped out of the building and into the night, her figure disappearing into the shadows once more. The slums had taught her how to survive, but now it was time to fight back. And she would not stop until General Kael Drayven paid for what he had done.

The ghost in the shadows was ready to become something more.