The corridors twisted endlessly, wires pulsing like veins in the dim light. Sparks rained from broken conduits, and the faint hiss of automated sentries echoed from unseen corners. Ash led the way, Ayin clinging to her side, her fingers trembling around Ash's arm.
"We need to find a safe spot to stabilize her fully," Ash said, voice low, trying to keep her panic from leaking into her tone.
Haru moved just behind them, eyes scanning every shadow. "Safe? In here?" He gestured at the twisting metal labyrinth. "Nothing in this place is safe. Not for her. Not for us."
Ayin shivered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ash… hurts… feel weird…" Her brows knitted together, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
Ash knelt beside her sister, examining the circuits still attached to her neural interface. "I know, Ayin. I know it hurts. But we're getting you free. I promise. One step at a time."
Haru crouched beside Ash, reaching over to adjust a defensive panel. "The feedback loops are minimal now, but if we trigger the main hub… it'll be rough. She might collapse if we push too fast."
Ayin's hand gripped Ash's wrist. "I… I want to… fight… but scared."
"You don't have to fight alone," Ash whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair from Ayin's face. "We're here. All of us. Together."
Haru added, voice calm yet firm, "Exactly. We move carefully. We cover each other. Every step. Got it?"
Ayin's lips trembled, but a faint nod confirmed her understanding. "Together…"
They moved cautiously, rounding a corner into a wider chamber. The walls shimmered with pulsating light from the facility's core energy nodes, casting long, twitching shadows. At the center, the massive node of Seraph's control loomed, wires stretching like metallic vines across the floor.
Ash swallowed hard, glancing at Haru. "That's it. That's the core. One wrong move…"
Haru placed a hand on her back, steadying her. "Then we don't make a wrong move. I've got you. You've got her. Let's do this."
Ash nodded, kneeling beside Ayin and beginning the delicate process of overriding the core's control. Sparks flew and the machine groaned as it resisted, Ayin flinching violently.
"Hold still, Ayin! I need you to trust me!" Ash shouted over the crackling of the wires.
Ayin's voice broke through, trembling: "I… trust… you…"
Haru disabled a sentry rushing toward them, its mechanical limbs sparking violently. "We don't have much time! Keep moving, Ash!"
Ash's hands worked rapidly, rerouting circuits, bypassing the control signals, feeling the pulse of the Mother Machine in every nerve. "Almost there… just a little more…"
Ayin whimpered, voice shaking. "Feels… like… me… but… not me…"
"You're still you, Ayin. I promise. We'll bring back all of you," Ash said fiercely. Her fingers hit the final sequence, and the central node flared, then dimmed.
The energy field around Ayin collapsed, leaving her free, though trembling. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, and Ash immediately wrapped an arm around her.
Haru exhaled sharply. "She's stable… for now. But we need to move before the facility reacts."
Ayin clung to Ash, voice whispering, "I… I'm scared…"
Ash pressed her forehead against her sister's. "I know. Me too. But we're together. We'll get out of this. All of us."
Haru added, voice softening slightly, "We've survived worse. We'll survive this too. Let's go."
The trio pressed onward, deeper into the facility, every step measured, every shadow a potential threat. Sparks flew, machines hummed, and the pulse of Seraph's lingering presence grew heavier.
Somewhere in the labyrinth, the Mother Machine stirred, calculating, waiting for the slightest crack in their defenses. But Ash's resolve hardened with each step. They would survive. They would fight. And together, they would reclaim what Seraph had tried to steal.