Chapter 99: Echoes of Solas

Inside the bunker, the air was stale and cold. The walls were lined with servers and computer terminals, all powered by a central core that hummed softly. It was a relic of Solas's reign, one of the many nerve centers that had allowed him to control his forces across the globe.

Zane moved quickly, accessing the system. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he decrypted layers of security protocols that Solas had left behind. Nyla stood by, watching the screens light up with data—command lines, encrypted files, and communication logs.

"This is it," Zane said, his voice filled with awe. "This is one of the primary nodes for Solas's algorithm."

Nyla's heart raced. "Can you shut it down?"

Zane hesitated, his eyes scanning the data. "I can... but there's something else. There are commands here—ongoing ones. It's like the algorithm is still following a set of protocols that Solas programmed in advance."

Nyla's eyes narrowed. "What kind of protocols?"

Zane's expression darkened as he scrolled through the files. "Attacks. Coordinated strikes against major cities. They were supposed to go live weeks ago, but... something delayed them."

Nyla's blood ran cold. "Solas's death."

"Exactly," Zane said. "The algorithm was waiting for a trigger... and I think we might have just activated it by accessing the system."

Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the bunker. The lights flickered as the system came to life, executing commands that had been dormant since Solas's death.

"We need to shut this down—now!" Nyla shouted, grabbing Zane by the arm.

Zane worked frantically, trying to override the algorithm before it could complete its deadly task. But the system was complex, more advanced than anything he had ever seen before.

"We don't have much time!" Zane yelled, sweat dripping down his face.

Nyla's mind raced. If they couldn't stop the algorithm, Solas's final attack would devastate the world.