Chapter Eighteen – The Split Second
The chamber's air thickened as the Commander stepped in, armor gleaming like liquid metal. His visor was broader, harsher, the crimson glow flooding the room.
"Stand down," he barked. His voice was iron, clipped and final. "Contain the subject. Now."
The Guards snapped to motion, but the interrogator raised a hand. "Commander, the shard—he's unstable. If we rush him, the whole sector could collapse."
The Commander's head turned slightly, visor narrowing. "Excuses. You've grown soft in your role." He advanced, each step ringing against the steel floor. "This is not a negotiation. It's an order."
Kael held the shard close, its hum coiling inside him. Every instinct screamed to unleash it—but he caught the interrogator's subtle gesture, the smallest tilt of the head. Wait.
The Guards circled, weapons humming. Kael's chest rose and fell, his voice steady despite the storm within. "You call me unstable," he said, eyes fixed on the Commander. "But what's more unstable than a regime that fears a sound?"
The Commander paused. "A sound cannot topple the Accord."
"Then why does it terrify you?"
For a flicker, silence cut through the chamber, heavy and dangerous. The Commander lifted his weapon, ready to fire.
And in that split second, the interrogator's voice slipped through the chaos, low enough for Kael alone. "North wall. Vent shaft. When I give the signal—run."
Kael's heart thudded. He nodded ever so slightly, masking the movement.
The Commander aimed directly at Kael's chest. "Last chance. Submit or vanish."
The shard burned hot in Kael's palm, light spilling through his fingers. The Guards flinched, weapons shaking. The Resonance roared in his ears, demanding release.
Then the interrogator shouted, sharp and commanding: "Now!"
Kael moved. The shard flared, blasting a wave that threw Guards backward like rag dolls. Sparks showered from the ceiling, alarms shrieked, steel warped. The Commander staggered but held his ground, visor locking onto Kael with fury.
Through the chaos, Kael caught the faintest whisper—just one word, from behind the interrogator's mask.
"Run."
Kael lunged toward the north wall.
And the world exploded into sound.