Enough

The gunshot echoed in the cavernous lab, slicing through the tension like a blade. Time seemed to slow as Mia's body tensed, her heart leaping into her throat. She instinctively moved in front of Alexander, her arms wide as though she could somehow shield him from the bullet that had already left the barrel of Marco's gun.

But it wasn't Mia who took the shot.

The sound of a body collapsing to the floor filled the air, and Mia's eyes snapped to the figure who had fallen to the ground. It wasn't Marco. It was one of the guards, his body crumpled, blood pooling around him. From the shadows behind him, a voice called out.

"Move! Get to the exit now!"

Mia's pulse raced as she turned toward the sound. Standing in the doorway was a familiar figure: Elias, his weapon still raised, eyes focused on Marco.

"You're not getting away that easily," Elias snarled, his fingers still tight around the trigger. "There's no escape this time, Marco."

Marco, his face contorting in rage, whipped his head toward Elias. "You think you can stop me? You think you can take me down? I've already won. This is bigger than you, bigger than anything you can imagine."

Alexander's hand tightened around Mia's as he pulled her to her feet. "We're leaving, now!"

But Marco wasn't done. "You're too late, Alexander. The virus is already set in motion. Your precious world is about to fall apart." He reached into his coat, pulling out a small device, and with a cold, calculated smile, he pressed a button.

Mia's stomach dropped. "No!"

Victor, who had been trying to hack into the system, cursed under his breath. "He's activated the failsafe. We've got less than five minutes before the virus spreads. We need to get out of here, now!"

Elias was already moving, pulling Mia and Alexander toward the exit, but Marco wasn't going to let them leave so easily. With a growl, he lunged at Alexander, knocking him to the ground.

"Mia!" Alexander shouted, trying to push Marco off of him. "Go!"

But Mia couldn't leave him behind, not now. She rushed forward, grabbing Marco by the arm and yanking him off of Alexander with all her strength.

For a brief moment, their eyes locked. Marco's gaze was filled with rage, but there was also something darker lurking beneath—fear, desperation. The empire he had built was crumbling, and in that moment, he realized he had lost.

"You don't understand," Marco hissed, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. "You can't stop it. You can't stop what I've already put in motion."

Mia's hands were trembling, but she stood her ground. "You're finished, Marco. Whatever you've done, we'll undo it. And you'll never hurt anyone again."

Marco smirked, his lips curling into a grin that sent a chill down her spine. "You think so? You think you can just walk away from this? No, Mia. It's too late for all of you."

With a swift motion, Marco pushed her aside and darted toward the control panel in the corner of the room. "I'll destroy everything," he spat, his fingers flying over the buttons. "You'll never—"

But before he could finish, Elias's bullet slammed into the back of his shoulder, knocking him forward onto the console.

Marco cried out in pain, but the look on his face wasn't fear—it was pure rage. His hand moved to the device, but Elias fired again, this time hitting Marco square in the chest.

"Enough," Elias said, his voice low and steady as he approached the fallen man. "You've lost."

Marco's hand dropped, the device slipping from his fingers. He glared at them one last time, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "You think this is the end? You think this is over? You have no idea what I've set in motion. You won't win."

His words trailed off as his eyes glazed over, and his body went still.

For a moment, there was only silence.

Mia took a trembling breath, her heart still pounding in her chest. She felt the weight of everything—the danger, the fear, the uncertainty—lift from her shoulders, but only slightly. The virus still loomed, and Marco's warning about the consequences of his actions echoed in her mind.

"We need to go," Elias said, his voice urgent. "The clock is ticking."

Alexander stood, helping Mia to her feet. His eyes locked onto the device Marco had dropped, but there was no time to check it. They had to leave before the virus spread.

Victor, who had been working furiously at the control panel, suddenly cursed. "I can't disable the failsafe. It's already too late. The virus is in the system. We've got less than three minutes."

"Then we make it count," Alexander said, determination in his voice. "Mia, stay close to me."

Mia nodded, her mind reeling, but she knew one thing for sure: she wasn't going to let anything happen to her family. Not now. Not ever.

Together, the group sprinted toward the exit, racing against the clock as the facility began to shake, the alarms growing louder with each passing second. The sound of footsteps behind them echoed through the hallways, but they didn't dare look back. There was no time.

Finally, they burst through the last set of doors and into the night, the compound behind them burning as the countdown reached its final moments. The explosion that followed was deafening, sending a shockwave that rattled the ground beneath their feet.

Mia stumbled but found herself held firmly by Alexander's arm. As the firestorm raged in the distance, they all stood there, breathing heavily, watching the flames consume the remnants of Marco's operation.

"It's over," Elias said, his voice quiet.

But Mia knew it wasn't truly over. Marco might be gone, but the danger was far from over. She had no idea what else he had set in motion, and the consequences of his actions were still out there.