They could hear the clash of metal as Lyam engaged the guards, each swing of his sword a desperate attempt to buy them time. A deafening explosion echoed from the entrance they'd just escaped, and the ground beneath them shook.
"Hurry!" Aeron urged, his voice barely audible over the chaos. As they neared the toxin container, Starfania's hands trembled.
"T-minus 30 seconds!" the system announced. Her heart raced as she glanced back one last time, glimpsing Lyam in a fierce battle. Aeron and Starfania climbed the ladder with urgency in every breath. Above them, the moon continued its silent, deliberate journey across the sun, casting long shadows across the steel scaffolding. The Eternal Sun was nearing totality, dimming the world in a surreal twilight that sent a chill racing down her spines.
A fresh group of guards appeared ahead, their eyes locked onto them, their weapon drawn. The realization hit them like a blow–if they caught them now, everything would be lost. Starfania turned to Aeron. He read her thoughts before she even spoke.
" I'll handle them, " he said firmly, already drawing his weapon. " Go. Finish this. "
" Aeron — " she stared, but he was already stepping between her and the Volcanic Orders, shielding her with his back. " No time to argue, princess. I believe in you, Star. Now go! "
Their eyes met one last time before she tore herself away, forcing her feet to move, even as her heart cried out. She ran, leaving him behind in the growing darkness.
Stealth became her armor as she weaved through narrow catwalks and shadowed corridors. The guards never saw her coming–she was silent. She climbed, slipped through gaps, vaulted over rails. Her breath came in ragged bursts as she reached the final platform where the rocket stood poised to launch its deadly payload. The countdown echoed in the air.
Ten. Nine. Eight…
Frantically, she searched for the hatch to put the antioxidant in. Her eyes darted from panel to panel, wires and lights blurring together as panic crawled at her throat. The darkness from the eclipse deepened, wrapping around everything like a burial shroud.
Five. Four…
Then, a glint caught her eye–a hatch tucked away in the far corner, she quickly opened it up. She lunged. Opening the hatch and grabbing the antidote from her pockets. As she twist the led open and pop the vial open.
Three. Two…One.
A deep, low hum vibrated through the floor as the system activated. The launch had begun. Darkness consumed the sky as the eclipse reached its peak, swallowing the last silver of sunlight. A violet tremor surged beneath Starfania, shaking the very core of the structure. The ground quaked with increasing intensity, vibrating through her bones like the beat of an ancient war drum. Her heart raced–not just from fear, but from the overwhelming realization that the moment had arrived. The rocket was about to launch.