Chapter 14: The Escape and the Revelation

In the narrow ventilation shaft, dust motes danced in the meager light filtering through a few grates. We moved on all fours, the cold metal beneath our hands, the silence broken only by our breaths and the distant echoes of the Chosen's search.

"Where does this lead?" Étienne murmured, his voice muffled by the confined space.

"I'm not sure," I replied, feeling my way forward. "But it's our only chance for now."

We continued like this for what felt like an eternity, the shaft winding through the bowels of the tower. The air grew increasingly stale, and claustrophobia began to set in. Yet, the thought of being recaptured by the Chosen spurred us onward.

Finally, a faint glow appeared ahead. We reached another grate, larger this time. Carefully, Étienne dislodged it, and we found ourselves in a dark room that seemed to be a technical area. Pipes ran along the walls, and machines hummed in the darkness.

"Where are we?" Étienne whispered, scanning the surroundings.

"I think we're on the lower levels," I replied, vaguely recognizing the layout from the plans I had briefly glimpsed in the data center. "Not far from the service exits, maybe."

A flicker of hope ignited within me. If we could reach the exits, we would have a chance to escape the tower.

We moved cautiously through the technical room, avoiding bumping into the machines and making noise. We found a door at the far end of the room and opened it gently.

The corridor beyond was better lit, but still deserted. We moved quickly into it, our senses on high alert. Every sound, every shadow put us on edge.

Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed down the corridor. "Lyra? Étienne? Are you there?"

It was Aria.

An immense wave of relief washed over me. She was alive! But how did she know where we were?

We rushed towards the voice and found Aria hidden behind a pillar. Her face was pale, but her eyes shone with determination.

"How are you?" I asked, pulling her into a hug.

"I'm fine," she replied. "After what happened in the lab, I pretended to be unconscious. When they left me alone, I managed to escape."

"You were incredible," Étienne said, relieved.

"But there's something else," Aria added, her tone becoming more serious. "I overheard things... conversations between the Chosen before I escaped."

She lowered her voice, leaning towards us. "They're not just creating people with powers. They're also actively searching for them outside. And they have a main target right now."

"Who?" I asked, my heart beating faster.

Aria looked at us, her eyes filled with deep sadness. "Malakai."

A shock ran through me. Malakai, our mentor, the one who had revealed the truth about our powers... Why would the Chosen be looking for him?

"They know he helped us," Aria explained. "They consider him a traitor. And they want to prevent him from helping other people like us."

The situation was becoming increasingly dangerous. Not only did we have to escape, but we also had to warn Malakai.

"We have to get out of here and warn him," I said, my decision made.

Étienne and Aria nodded in agreement. Together, we resumed our progress through the corridors, our determination strengthened by this new revelation. We had to escape the tower, find Malakai, and discover the true extent of the threat posed by the Chosen. Our fight had only just begun.