The corridors were tight, shadows long and crooked, and I knew something had shifted. The quiet wasn't just silence it was a heartbeat waiting to snap. My instincts screamed before I even saw it: movement in the corner of my eye, too precise to be random.
Clatter… distant metallic thud…
Krain's men struck, emerging from hidden panels and side corridors. Steel met steel with a jarring clang, boots pounding, and shouts muffled by walls and distance. Reflexively, I ducked, rolled, and reached for the closest leverage point, every muscle ready, every sense screaming the familiar rhythm of survival.
Rattle… soft scrape…
I calculated their numbers, their positioning, the timing it was almost elegant. Almost. Not enough. A swing too close, a misstep too risky. And then….
A shadow slammed into one of Krain's men, knocking him off balance, pulling me clear. Elliot. Calm, precise, almost ghost-like, standing between me and the worst of the strike.
Soft clank… muted grunt…
I exhaled sharply, grateful and annoyed in equal measure. "One save doesn't balance the ledger," I muttered, voice low but sharp. My fingers brushed the steel I'd just dodged, eyes scanning for the next strike. "Appreciate the assist. Don't expect a thank-you note."
Faint hum… distant echo…
Elliot's eyes met mine no apology, no warmth, just a steady acknowledgment that yes, he'd saved me. That tether, that last thread of trust, had held, but it didn't make me soft. It reminded me that even the cleverest manipulator could be cornered, even briefly.
Soft scrape… metal groan…
I moved away from the pile of scrambling attackers, letting Elliot slip back into the shadows without word. My smirk was faint, dry. "Always nice to have an old friend remind you you're not immortal," I whispered.
Rattle… distant clink…
The corridors settled again, echoes fading, leaving the faint hum of the Veins. I was unscathed, shaken only in that precise, calculated way that sharpened every nerve. The ambush was a reminder: control was never absolute, loyalty was a currency, and even the smallest save could be a weighty debt.
I straightened, eyes scanning the walls, letting the shadows stretch behind me. "Good timing, as always," I muttered. "Don't get used to it."