Chapter 14: The Price of Memory

The group moved swiftly through the maintenance corridors, every shadow and echo a reminder of the enforcers still hunting them. Kael led the way, his mind racing with the weight of the plan they'd just committed to. Echo Protocol was more than a tool of control—it was the key to exposing Voss. But the cost of carrying that key was steep. Every corner they turned, every step they took, felt like a moment closer to a final confrontation they couldn't fully prepare for.

"How far to your contact?" Kael asked Kane, his voice hushed but tense.

Kane glanced down at his wrist-com, a holographic map flickering to life in the air. "If we stay on this route, we can make it to the underground access point in about ten minutes."

Kael nodded, but unease gnawed at him. "Ten minutes is a long time when Voss knows we have his most dangerous weapon."

Niko, bringing up the rear, cracked his knuckles. "We've fought our way out of worse, right?" His grin was strained, a shadow of his usual bravado.

Seraphine, walking beside Kael, was silent. Her eyes were fixed ahead, but Kael could see the turmoil brewing behind them. She had come for her lost memories, only to discover the far-reaching consequences of Voss's plans. He knew the weight of this battle was heavier for her than for any of them. Her entire life had been shaped by stolen and altered memories, and now she held the key to undoing it all.

"You okay?" Kael asked softly, as they turned down another long hallway.

Seraphine hesitated, then nodded, though the haunted look in her eyes betrayed her. "I have to be. This is bigger than my memories now. Bigger than all of us." She glanced at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't help wondering… what if Voss is already a step ahead? What if we're too late?"

Kael didn't have an answer for her. The truth was, Voss likely was several steps ahead. But he couldn't let that stop them. He couldn't let her lose hope—not now.

Before he could respond, Kane suddenly stopped, his eyes widening as he looked down at his wrist-com. "Damn it."

"What?" Niko asked, his hand instinctively moving toward his weapon.

"Voss has rerouted all drone patrols to this sector," Kane muttered. "We've got incoming—fast."

Kael cursed under his breath. They were running out of time. "Is there another way out?"

Kane shook his head. "Not unless you want to cut through Vexis's main server rooms. But that's suicide. We stick to this route."

Kael turned to Niko and Seraphine. "We're going to have to push through. Get ready."

The team tensed, preparing for what was coming. The air around them felt heavier, thick with the inevitability of conflict.

They didn't have to wait long.

The sound of mechanized footsteps echoed through the corridors, followed by the unmistakable whine of high-powered drones approaching from both sides. The enforcers were closing in, and they were bringing everything they had.

"We're surrounded," Seraphine said, her voice tight.

"Then we fight," Kael replied, his weapon already drawn. He turned to Kane. "Can you at least shut down the drones remotely?"

Kane's fingers flew over the wrist-com, but his face tightened with frustration. "Voss locked me out. We're on our own."

Kael took a deep breath. "Then let's make it count."

The first drone appeared at the far end of the corridor, its sleek, armored body glowing with red lights. It scanned the area, locking onto their signatures. A second later, it opened fire, the energy blasts crackling through the air.

"Down!" Kael shouted, diving for cover behind a metal pillar as the shots ripped through the space where he had just been standing.

Niko was already returning fire, his shots precise and calculated. "These things never learn!" he growled as he hit the drone's power core, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks.

But more were coming—enforcers, drones, and automated turrets deployed by Voss's security systems. They were vastly outnumbered, and the tight corridors left them with little room to maneuver.

Seraphine, crouched behind a storage crate, pulled out a small, handheld device Kael hadn't seen before. She locked eyes with him for a brief moment, then tossed the device into the center of the hall.

"EMP!" she shouted.

A pulse of blue light exploded from the device, and the approaching drones flickered and crashed to the ground, their systems fried.

Kael glanced at her, impressed. "Nice work."

She managed a brief, strained smile. "We still have to deal with the enforcers."

Kael nodded grimly. The enforcers were harder to take down—Voss's elite, trained to fight in any condition, equipped with top-of-the-line tech and armor. But they had no choice.

"Stay low," Kael called to the others as the first wave of enforcers rounded the corner, their weapons blazing.

Kael and Niko fired back, trying to hold them off, but for every enforcer they took down, two more seemed to appear. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of scorched metal.

"We can't hold them off forever!" Niko shouted, narrowly dodging a barrage of shots.

Kane, still crouched behind cover, was frantically working on his wrist-com. "I'm trying to override the system! If I can get a clean signal to the underground network, I can call for extraction."

Kael fired at an advancing enforcer, his mind racing. "We need to buy time. Seraphine, with me. Niko, hold the line with Kane."

Seraphine nodded, following Kael as they moved down a side corridor, away from the main firefight. They had to find a way to disrupt the enforcers' advance—slow them down, give Kane enough time to get them out.

"Voss isn't going to let us leave this building alive," Seraphine said as they moved, her voice strained.

Kael glanced at her, his jaw clenched. "Then we'll make him regret trying."

They rounded a corner and came face to face with another enforcer squad, their weapons raised. Kael didn't hesitate. He fired first, his shots striking the enforcer at the front, but the others were quick to respond.

Seraphine ducked behind a column, her hand shaking as she aimed. She squeezed the trigger, and the blast hit its mark, taking down another enforcer.

Kael glanced at her, seeing the fear in her eyes but also the determination. She wasn't a soldier—she wasn't built for this kind of fight—but she was holding her own. For the first time, Kael realized just how far she had come since they first met. She wasn't just fighting for her memories anymore. She was fighting for something much bigger.

"Keep moving," Kael said, firing again.

As they reached the next junction, Kael spotted a power conduit embedded in the wall—one that controlled the security grid for this sector of the building. If they could overload it, they might be able to create enough chaos to cover their escape.

He pointed to the conduit. "We can take this down. It'll shut off the security systems in this area, slow them down."

Seraphine nodded, and together, they rigged the conduit with a small explosive charge. Kael set the timer for twenty seconds.

"We need to get back to the others," he said, his voice tense. "Now."

They sprinted back toward the main corridor, where Niko and Kane were still holding off the enforcers. Just as they reached them, the explosion rocked the building, plunging the corridor into darkness. The security systems flickered and died, and the enforcers hesitated, momentarily blinded.

"Go!" Kael shouted.

They moved as one, slipping through the chaos, the flickering emergency lights casting eerie shadows around them.

Kane finally managed to get a signal. "I've got it!" he yelled. "Extraction in five minutes—if we can make it to the roof."

Kael's heart pounded. "Then let's move."

But as they reached the final set of stairs leading to the rooftop, a figure emerged from the shadows ahead, blocking their path.

It was Voss.

His calm, calculated gaze met Kael's, and a slow, cruel smile spread across his face. "You really thought you could win this?"

Kael felt Seraphine tense beside him, and for the briefest moment, he wondered if they had come all this way only to face the inevitable end.

But he tightened his grip on his weapon, stepping forward.

"We're not done yet."