Chapter 105: The Last Node

The team slid down a narrow chute, landing in a darkened room below the facility. The air was thick with dust and the hum of ancient machines that hadn't been touched in years. Zane landed beside Nyla, panting heavily.

"That was too close," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

Nyla nodded, catching her breath. "But we're not out yet. We still need to wipe the system."

Zane stood up and scanned the room. "This looks like an old control center. If I can find a terminal, I should be able to access the central core."

The room was small, but it was filled with outdated tech—terminals, cables, and machinery that had been abandoned long ago. But in the center of the room, a single terminal was still active, its screen flickering in the dark.

"That's it," Zane said, moving toward the terminal. "This is the last node. If I can take it offline, we'll shut down the AI and stop the lockdown."

Nyla kept watch while Zane worked, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. The AI had nearly trapped them, and she wasn't going to let it catch them again.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Zane let out a sigh of relief. "Got it. The AI is offline. The facility should be fully disabled now."

Nyla exhaled, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over her. They had taken down another of Solas's nodes, but there were still more out there. And with each one they found, the danger seemed to grow.

"We're not done yet," Nyla said quietly. "Solas's influence is still out there. But at least for now, we've bought ourselves some time."

Zane nodded, his expression grim. "Time to find the next one."