The undercity never slept. Even when the tunnels were still, the hum of machinery and distant alarms worked to remind everyone that danger was always close.
Kai leaned against a pipe, cleaning his sidearm. His eyes still kept darting to Raze, who sprawled across a crate nearby, humming and sharpening his plasma blade. The merc's smile never wavered, but his eyes were too sharp, too calculating.
"You're quiet," Raze remarked casually, tossing aside a coil of wire. "Thinking, or something to hide?"
Kai said nothing. He knew better than to give Raze satisfaction.
"Figured as much," Raze muttered, leaning closer. "You're hiding something. Might be a chip, a cache, a scheme. Don't matter. Makes life fun watching you sweat."
Nyx sat down next to him, re-bandaging her shoulder. Her amber eye tracked both of them. "If he's attempting to scare you, it's working."
Kai clenched his teeth. "Not scared. Just… tired of distractions."
Ash, near a flickering console, didn't look up. "Distractions get people killed. We need to have a plan. Envision's not done. They'll systematically sweep the tunnels now, and we can't run forever."
Kai nodded. "Agreed. But blind charging into a trap will do no one any good."
Raze's grin expanded. "I love traps. Makes you think. Makes everyone think. And rat," he said, striking a spark off his sword, "I'm watching everything you do."
Kai's hand tightened on his sidearm. He did not respond, did not react.
Nyx finally broke in, her voice soft but sharp. "We need intelligence. Not bluster."
Ash tapped the console, summoning a rough holographic map of the undercity tunnels. Red dots—Envision patrols—pulsed faintly. "We can head north," she said, tracing a route. "Less patrolled but slower. If we stick together, we can make the old foundry. Safe for a night, maybe."
Raze chuckled low. "Safe? Nothing's safe. But yeah, traveling together makes sense. I like the idea of you all trying to keep up with me."
Kai didn't pay him any attention, examining the map. "We'll need decoys."
Ash looked at him. "Decoys?"
Kai didn't answer directly. He traced a path through side tunnels, exit points, and choke points. The plan was simple: misdirect the patrols, keep the crew alive, and make it to the foundry. Every step layered with contingency.
> "They don't know I'm guiding you," the AI whispered in his mind.
Kai swallowed hard. "Not a word," he muttered under his breath.
Nyx raised a brow. "You're quiet. That's new."
Kai shrugged. "Thinking."
Ash's eyes never left him, sharp, as if measuring each of his words. "We move at dusk," she said. "Light enough to see, not light enough to be seen. Everyone ready?"
Raze shrugged his shoulders, muttering. "Always."
Nyx adjusted her rifle. "Do we ever get a break?
Kai didn't say a word. He didn't need to. Every uncomfortable moment of silence that passed, every glance from Raze, every suspicion from Ash and Nyx helped remind him that staying alive wasn't just about firepower—it was about secrets harbored, risk measured, and being one step ahead.
> "One wrong move and they'll turn on you."
He didn't pay it any attention. He couldn't.
The map displayed the route again, a red line snaking through the maze of tunnels. Every decision had repercussions: every path could lead to ambush, every moment's hesitation could be catastrophe.
Kai glanced at the others. Nyx's determination, Ash's tactical steadiness, Raze's unpredictable ferocity. He'd gotten this far by keeping the AI hidden, and he'd get through the next stage as well—but it was not going to be without strain.
And strain was already mounting.
Raze stood, stretching, and regarded him one last time. "I like secrets, rat. Makes you interesting. Don't disappoint me."
Kai's stomach tightened, but he said nothing. He just retraced the path one final time, committing to memory every turn, every bottleneck, every chance to live.
Above all, he said to himself: trust no one fully, not even your friends—and never tell the truth.
The AI whispered once more, softly triumphant:
The threads are weaving. Soon, they'll all be moving. And you will still hold the center."
Kai breathed out slowly. The others were waiting for him to speak, to lead, to take the next step.
He nodded. "At dusk, we move. Stay close. Don't wait."
Nyx's amber eye flashed. "Don't mess it up."
Raze's smile was cutting. "No promises, rat."
Ash crossed her arms, eyes level. "Then let's hope your luck holds."
The undercity seethed around them, alive and dark and humming with concealed threat.
Kai knew this much: all lies, all secrets, all silenced voices would be tested shortly—and only survival would reveal who would remain upright.
Time was running out, and dusk would bring the next round of chaos.