Chapter 18: Breach At Dawn.

Chapter 18: Breach at dawn.

The first light of dawn crept through the cracked vents of the underground bunker, casting long shadows on the metal walls. Sierra strapped the device securely to her wrist, its blue core pulsing in sync with her heartbeat.

Knox checked the map again, tracing the route Halix had marked—a narrow, forgotten maintenance tunnel winding beneath the Central Spire. "If this works, we'll bypass the outer defenses entirely."

Sierra's jaw tightened. "If."

"Better to hope for luck than face the front gates," Knox muttered.

They moved swiftly through the labyrinthine corridors, the only sounds the soft hum of distant machinery and the careful tapping of their boots on metal grates. Every step felt heavier, the weight of what awaited them pressing down like a physical force.

Ahead, a grated door loomed—rusted shut but not locked. Knox forced it open with a grunt.

Beyond lay the tunnel: cold, dark, and narrow. Pipes lined the walls, dripping condensation that echoed like distant rain.

Sierra's device flickered, its glow intensifying. "It's reacting to something," she whispered.

Knox nodded, eyes sharp. "We're getting close. Sensors show energy surges up ahead. That'll be the Spire's power core."

They crept forward, the air growing warmer, electric with danger.

Suddenly, the device pulsed violently, and Sierra stumbled, clutching her head as a sharp wave of pressure slammed into her mind.

"Protocol interference," she gasped. "They know we're here."

Knox drew his pistol, scanning the shadows. "We're not alone."

From the darkness emerged a squad of black-armored guards, weapons raised, faces hidden behind opaque visors.

"No turning back," Sierra said through gritted teeth.

She activated the device. A sharp blue pulse burst outward, scrambling the guards' targeting systems for a brief moment.

Knox fired as they charged, buying them precious seconds.

Sierra pushed forward, every step a battle against the invisible chains trying to pull her back.

The tunnel opened into a vast chamber—the heart of the Spire. At its center, a colossal neural hub hummed with raw power, wires like veins stretching into the shadows.

Sierra approached, device glowing bright in her palm.

"This ends now," she declared.

With a surge of will, she connected the device to the hub's interface.

Electricity surged through her veins.

The Protocol screamed in her mind—but this time, she was in control.