The tunnels shook with a low, mechanical hum. At first Kael thought it was the pipes groaning again, but the look on Mira's face froze him.
"They've deployed the hunters."
Before Kael could ask, a shrill vibration tore through the underground. It wasn't sound exactly—it was a pulse, like the air itself shivering against his bones. All around him, rebels flinched, covering their ears though no noise filled the chamber.
Mira grabbed his arm. "They've upgraded the drones. They don't just see or listen anymore—they feel. They track the resonance of our voices, even whispers."
Daren stormed into the chamber, his scarred face taut with fury. "Everyone scatter. They're sweeping the lower tunnels. Do not cluster. Do not speak." His eyes locked on Kael. "You—stay close to Mira. If they catch you, they'll break more than just you."
The chamber erupted into silent chaos. Rebels grabbed packs, papers, scraps of food. The hum grew louder, vibrating Kael's ribs. Then came the sound of boots—measured, heavy, inhumanly synchronized. The Quiet Guard.
Mira yanked Kael into a side passage just as beams of white light seared into the main cavern. Shadows twisted along the walls as the Guards marched in—black armored figures with no faces, their visors glowing faint red. Behind them floated a drone, its spherical body bristling with antennae that pulsed with each vibration.
Kael held his breath. The drone passed their hiding spot, humming. His heart thundered so loud he was certain it would give them away.
The drone paused. Turned.
Mira pressed a small metal sphere into his hand. Her eyes pleaded: trust me.
Without warning, she hurled an identical sphere into the tunnel. It hit the stone floor and burst with a crackling surge of static. The drone jerked toward the sound, emitting a shriek of false resonance. The Guards followed, weapons raised.
"Now!" Mira hissed, pulling Kael in the opposite direction.
They ran, the tunnels twisting like veins around them. The drone's shriek echoed closer again—it had realized the trick. Kael stumbled, panic clawing at his chest.
"We won't outrun it!" he gasped.
Mira's jaw clenched. "Then we outsmart it." She shoved the second sphere—the one Kael still clutched—toward his chest. "You wanted to fight? Time to prove it."
The hum grew to a roar. The Guards were almost on them. Kael stared at the sphere, his hand trembling. It felt impossibly heavy, like the weight of every choice he had tried to avoid.
He closed his fist around it.
And threw.