BLIND

The abandoned sector was eerily silent, save for the occasional flicker of failing lights overhead. The Clan moved in careful strides, their footsteps barely making a sound against the cracked pavement.

Cipher led them through a narrow corridor, his tablet's screen dimmed to prevent detection.

"We're almost past the main grid," he whispered through the comms. "If we—"

A sharp beep cut through the air. Cipher froze, eyes widening as a red light blinked to life on his screen. "Shit. Motion sensors."

In an instant, the Clan scattered, pressing themselves into the shadows as mechanical whirs echoed through the corridor. A small drone hovered into view, its scanning lens pulsing with a cold, blue glow.

Flux reacted quickly, grabbing Myst by the wrist and yanking her into a nook behind a collapsed support beam. He pressed her against the cold metal, body shielding hers as the drone passed dangerously close.

Myst barely breathed. The space between them was nonexistent—her back against the rusted surface, his hand beside her head, their faces inches apart. She could feel the slow rise and fall of his chest, the steady heat of him against her own uneven breaths.

A sensation rippled through her, different from before. It sent a shiver down her spine, her pulse ringing in her ears. Her mind screamed to react, but she was caught in the moment, trapped between the threat and the undeniable pull between them.

Flux's grip on her wrist tightened, grounding her just as the drone's light swept across their hiding place. She swallowed hard, her fingers twitching slightly against his sleeve.

Then, for the briefest second, she felt it—his hand shifting, a fleeting brush of fingertips against her side as if he'd meant to move but hesitated.

The drone paused.

Every muscle in her body tensed. If it detected them now, there would be no time to react before alarms blared.

Flux's breathing slowed, his heartbeat a steady rhythm against the weight of the silence. He didn't move, but Myst could feel the way his body subtly tensed, ready to spring into action if necessary.

The drone lingered for an agonizing moment, its scanning lens sweeping dangerously close. Myst felt Flux's fingers tighten fractionally against her wrist—silent reassurance or maybe warning. Time running thin.

Then, just as quickly, the drone continued on, the whirring noise fading down the corridor.

Flux didn't move right away. His jaw clenched, his gaze flickering over her face as if making sure she was still with him. Then, exhaling softly, he stepped back, the sudden distance leaving the air between them charged.

"You okay?" His voice was lower than before, rough around the edges.

Myst nodded, though her breath was still uneven. She wasn't sure what had shaken her more—the close call or the way her senses had sharpened, instinctively in sync with his.

"We need to keep moving," Flux murmured, his gaze lingering a second longer before he turned away.

Myst followed, but her mind was still catching up to what had just happened—both the danger and something else entirely.

They had barely made it past the motion sensors when Myst stumbled slightly on uneven ground. Flux's hand shot out, catching her elbow before she could fall. She bristled at the contact, but he didn't let go.

"You need to focus," he muttered, his tone sharp but quiet.

"I am focused." Myst pulled away, but not before his fingers grazed against the bare skin of her arm, leaving behind a warmth she wasn't ready to acknowledge.

Flux exhaled, a muscle in his jaw twitching. "You're not. You're shaken."

She met his gaze, fire in her eyes. "I can handle myself."

A beat of silence hovered between them, tension tightening. Then, Flux leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something just above a whisper. "That's not the point."

Myst swallowed hard, her pulse quickening. She didn't know what was more unsettling. The fact that he was right, or the way his presence seemed to rattle her in ways she couldn't explain.

Before she could respond, Razor's voice crackled over their comms. "We need to move. Now."

Flux pulled back, his expression unreadable. "Let's go."

Myst forced herself to focus, but as they slipped back into the shadows, she couldn't shake the lingering sensation of Flux's touch. Or the way his words still echoed in her mind.

"You know, Flux is the last person I'd paired you with," Echo's voice cut through her thoughts, light with amusement. She almost jumped at his sudden presence beside her.

He scrunched his nose playfully. "Although, I gotta admit, you two look kind of good together."

Myst shot him a sharp look, her brows knitting. "What are you talking about?"

Echo smirked, nudging her arm. "What's between you two? You a thing or just in denial?"

Her gaze flickered toward Flux's back before she could stop herself. He moved ahead, tense but unaware of their conversation. A strange heat crept up her neck, and she turned away quickly. "There's nothing," she muttered. "Focus on the mission."

Echo chuckled under his breath. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Myst clenched her jaw, but as she moved forward, she couldn't ignore the way Echo's words settled uncomfortably in her chest, stirring something she wasn't ready to name.