{ Mia }
The hatch creaked.
My breath hitched.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
Lex was already at the panel, fingers moving like lightning. "They're scanning for heat signatures — enhanced grid, Level 3. We've got maybe twenty seconds."
Ace swore under his breath. "Of course they upgraded."
I pressed a hand to the wall, feeling the vibration. Heavy footsteps, getting louder. Closer.
"Lex—"
"I know."
The lights inside the shaft flickered once, then twice — then died.
Dark again.
A soft metallic click followed.
Ace tensed. "That wasn't you, was it?"
"No," Lex said flatly. "They're overriding the lock."
We all froze.
This wasn't a hide-and-wait situation anymore.
This was run or die.
I closed my eyes, trying to teleport back home.
I pictured it — my room, the soft hum of Scarlett's systems, the scent of solder and lavender from the candle I'd never lit. I reached for it with everything in me.
Nothing.
No shift.
No pull.
Just cold, suffocating stillness.
I tried again — harder this time, gritting my teeth as if force alone could tear space.
Still nothing.
My chest tightened. "It's not working."
Lex turned, eyes sharp. "What do you mean it's not—"
"I can't teleport."
Ace spun toward us. "What do you mean you can't teleport?"
I shook my head, panic threatening to claw its way up my throat. "Something's blocking me. Like—like a wall in my mind."
Lex cursed under his breath and turned back to the panel. "They've activated a disruption field. That's what the flickering was."
Ace growled. "They planned for this."
I pressed my palm against the wall again, the metal vibrating under my skin. "Then we go physical. We punch, run, climb, explode our way out."
Lex chuckled." No need for all that... First let's all try to teleport."
I raised an eyebrow. " What do you mean ? How do we do that ?"
He smiled. " First we have to establish a mind link... Next you think of where you want us to go... We all focus on the image and then hopefully...."
I smiled and nodded. " How do I get in touch with you ? I know what to do with Ace but
..."
He smiled patting my head. " You and I.... We're the same... Just think of me... Think of the connection we share..."
I closed my eyes again, steadier this time.
Not to escape.
To connect.
Lex.
My twin.
My mirror in a world that broke us in different ways.
I let my thoughts reach out, not blindly, but like I was threading a wire — golden, glowing, fragile — between two halves of the same whole.
I felt it.
A tug, subtle as breath.
A flicker, like static between our minds.
Lex's voice slipped into my head, softer than before but clearer than I expected.
"There you go, Mia."
Ace grunted. "I'm not hearing anything, just so we're clear."
I cracked a smile. "That's because you're a brick wall."
"Hey—"
"Focus," Lex said, a quiet command in all our minds. "Mia, now picture it. Anchor the image and hold it."
I breathed in.
My room.
The desk scattered with blueprints. Scarlett's interface glowing faintly. My worn-out hoodie on the chair. The half-drunk tea cup still sitting on the windowsill. The warm hum of familiarity.
Home.
I locked it in my mind like a target.
"Now," Lex whispered through the link, "pull."
The sound outside changed. A hiss. The hatch wheel screeched, turning. Boots stomped closer. A muffled shout.
Too late.
I screamed the image in my mind, louder than thought — louder than fear — and reached for Ace and Lex with every nerve in my body.
The world twisted.
Not gently — violently.
Like falling through glass and thunder.
And then—
Silence.
The three of us crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs and coughing and light.
Real light.
Not sirens. Not blood-red strobes. Just the flicker of my desk lamp.
We were back.
Scarlett's voice chirped softly in the background. "Welcome home, Mia."
I let out a laugh. Shaky. Unbelieving.
Lex stared around, blinking like he hadn't seen safety in years.
Ace rolled onto his back. "Next time… remind me to bring a parachute or something."
Lex just smiled faintly, eyes locked on mine.
"You did it."
"No," I said, voice low. "We did."
And for the first time since this nightmare started…
We weren't just running.
We were together.
A sudden knock echoed through the room.
My breath caught.
"Mom?" I whispered, panic rising.
The door creaked open slowly.
There she stood—Mom. Her face calm, unsuspecting. But then her eyes widened.
She saw Lex, crouched low by the panel.
She saw Ace, tense and alert.
And then she saw me.
Her hand trembled at her side, the door still half-open.
"Mia? What… what's going on here?" Her voice was quiet but sharp, laced with confusion and worry.
I scrambled to my feet, heart hammering. "Mom, it's not what it looks like—"
Lex straightened, stepping forward, eyes wary.
Ace's jaw clenched.
Mom's gaze flicked between us all like she was trying to piece together a puzzle that didn't make sense.
" Mia, who are they!..."
The air thickened with tension.
I swallowed hard, knowing I had no easy answers.