Chapter 17: The Awakening

The facility trembled as containment pods hissed open, releasing plumes of icy mist into the stale air. Lin Yuan's instincts screamed at him to move, but his feet felt frozen as the figure inside the pod took its first breath in what could have been decades. The humanoid figure's eyes glowed a piercing blue, its skeletal frame augmented with intricate cybernetics that pulsed with an eerie light.

Xu Wei's voice crackled over the comms. "Lin, we need to get out of here. Now."

Lin Yuan's grip tightened on his pistol. "No. We need to know what we're dealing with."

Evelyn didn't take her eyes off the emerging figure, her rifle steady. "Whatever it is, it's not friendly."

The augmented figure staggered forward, its gaze sweeping the room as if calibrating its surroundings. Its voice, distorted and mechanical, echoed through the chamber.

"Designate: Subject 07… Online. System rebooting."

Lin Yuan stepped forward cautiously. "Who are you?"

The figure's head snapped toward him, and for a split second, Lin Yuan swore he saw something—recognition.

"Lin Yuan… son of Lin Chen."

Lin's blood ran cold. "How do you know my father?"

The figure's limbs moved with precision as it straightened to its full height, towering over them. "Lin Chen… creator. Father. Architect. He sought salvation… but only found ruin."

Evelyn tensed. "Lin, this thing knows too much."

Before Lin could respond, alarms blared throughout the facility. Red warning lights bathed the room in an ominous glow.

"Warning. Covenant response team inbound. Estimated arrival: 10 minutes."

Rei's voice crackled over comms. "Lin, we have to move! I'm reading inbound Covenant dropships—looks like they've been tracking us since we got here!"

Lin Yuan's mind raced. They didn't have time to interrogate Subject 07, but leaving him behind was out of the question. He could hold the answers they needed—the truth about his father, the Core, and the Architect's purpose.

He looked at the figure. "Can you fight?"

Subject 07 tilted his head, mechanical components whirring. "Confirmed. Combat protocols engaged."

Lin Yuan nodded. "Then you're coming with us."

Subject 07 stepped forward, his body humming with raw power, and for the first time in a long while, Lin Yuan felt like they had a fighting chance.

"Let's move," he ordered, leading the way out.

Facility Exit – Covenant Attack

The team sprinted down the narrow corridors, the echoes of approaching Covenant forces reverberating through the walls. Evelyn took point, picking off straggling automated sentries with precise headshots, while Rei provided overwatch via her tactical drone.

"We're almost to the exit!" Xu Wei shouted from the rear, carrying a portable data drive packed with encrypted files from the facility.

Lin Yuan felt the Core pulsing again, warning him of something—something worse.

Then the wall in front of them exploded.

A squad of Covenant enforcers poured through the breach, weapons blazing. Lin Yuan dove for cover, firing back with precise shots. Evelyn took down two, but the numbers were against them.

"Hold the line!" Lin yelled.

Subject 07 stepped forward, his arms morphing into glowing energy blades. With blinding speed, he carved through the Covenant soldiers, his movements a terrifying blend of precision and brutality. Sparks flew as metal met metal, and within seconds, the squad lay in ruins.

Rei peeked out from behind cover. "Okay… I'm officially freaked out."

Lin Yuan glanced at Subject 07, who stood motionless, staring at the carnage he had wrought.

"You alright?" Lin asked cautiously.

Subject 07's glowing eyes flickered. "Assessing… Threat neutralized. Mission priority: Escape."

"Good enough for me," Evelyn muttered. "Let's go."

They pushed through the remaining resistance and emerged into the facility's exterior yard—a barren wasteland of concrete and rusted metal. The roar of Covenant dropships filled the sky as they descended, sleek and ominous.

"We're out of time!" Xu Wei shouted.

Lin Yuan looked around desperately, then spotted a rusted transport truck nearby. "Get in!"

The team piled in, and Evelyn hotwired the ignition with practiced ease. The engine roared to life, and they tore through the facility gates just as the Covenant troops swarmed in behind them.

Rei accessed their tactical HUD. "We've got three bogeys on our tail, and they're gaining fast!"

Lin Yuan climbed onto the back of the truck, steadying himself against the wind. "Subject 07, any bright ideas?"

Subject 07 leaped onto the roof of the vehicle with unnatural agility and raised his arm. A surge of energy pulsed through him, and with a single concentrated blast, he sent one of the pursuing dropships spiraling into the ground in flames.

Lin Yuan grinned. "I think I like this guy."

Evelyn swerved sharply to avoid gunfire. "Less admiration, more shooting!"

Lin Yuan opened fire, taking down one of the remaining drones with a well-placed shot. The last dropship, however, remained relentless, firing a barrage of plasma rounds that rocked the truck.

Rei screamed. "We're not gonna make it!"

Subject 07, his expression still emotionless, leapt from the truck onto the dropship, tearing into its hull with raw, mechanical strength. Sparks erupted, and moments later, the aircraft spiraled out of control, crashing in a fiery explosion behind them.

Lin Yuan stared in awe as Subject 07 landed gracefully back on the moving truck, his glowing eyes scanning for further threats.

"Well," Evelyn muttered, "that's one way to handle things."

They drove through the ruins until the city skyline reappeared in the distance. Only then did Lin Yuan allow himself to exhale.

"Safe for now," he said, though he knew it was only temporary.

Back at the Safehouse

The team gathered around Subject 07, who stood in the center of the room like an artifact from another time. Lin Yuan studied him closely.

"You knew my father," he said, voice steady. "What did he want with the Architect?"

Subject 07's eyes flickered. "Your father believed the Architect could change humanity… transcend it. But he feared what it could become in the wrong hands."

Lin Yuan exchanged a glance with Evelyn. "And now?"

Subject 07's mechanical voice was firm. "Now, the Architect waits for the one worthy of its guidance. You must decide, Lin Yuan… will you become its savior, or its destroyer?"

Lin Yuan felt the weight of the Core in his hands, its energy pulsing steadily. He had come this far for answers, but the biggest question still remained.

What would he do with the power now in his hands?