A firm, cold hand landed on her shoulder. There was no movement in Zoe; she stood still as a statue, her mind racing. Who was that? Did the guards find me? Is this the end? A wave of cold fear washed over her as she slowly turned around. When she did, she saw Kael.
A rush of relief washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by frustration. "It was you, you idiot! You freaked me out for a second!" she whisper-yelled, her voice loud with emotion. In an instant, Kael's hand shot out and covered her mouth. "Keep your voice down," he hissed, his eyes scanning the street before taking his hand away.
"How did you escape from them?" she asked in a low whisper.
"I'll explain later," he replied, his eyes fixed on the house across the street. "First, we have to get out of here." He started walking toward the road, and Zoe quickly followed. When he stepped onto the sidewalk, he pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head. Zoe instinctively covered her face with her hand, and they both walked away, blending into the small crowd.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in fiery hues, Zoe and Kael continued to walk. The vibrant, glowing cityscape slowly faded behind them, giving way to the city's outskirts where towering holographic ads were replaced by the humble neon signs of small businesses. "Where are we going?" Zoe asked, her voice tired. "I've been asking that for four hours."
"We're going to my friend's place," Kael replied.
"Friend's place?" she questioned.
"Yeah, an old friend."
"Okay," she sighed. "But how much longer?"
"We're almost there."
Just as he said that, they arrived at a small, old house with a garage connected to it. The lights were off and a quiet stillness hung in the air. Zoe went to the main door and tried the handle. "It's locked, Kael."
"Wait," he replied. "He's coming."
A man came riding on a small, one-seater hoverbike, the vehicle humming softly as it hovered inches above the road. He parked it and walked over. "Hey man, how are you? It's been a long time," he said, extending his hand.
"Yeah, a long time," Kael replied, shaking it. He then turned to Zoe. "Zoe, this is Ethan, my old friend." Ethan nodded politely. "Let me unlock the door." He tapped a small device on the door, and the lock clicked open. The three of them entered the house.
The door closed, plunging them into darkness. With a small flicker, the lights came on, revealing a dusty hall, a small kitchen, and a single bedroom. The air hung thick with the smell of disuse, and all three of them started coughing. "There's so much dust," Kael said, his voice raspy.
"Yeah," Ethan said. "It was my grandparents' house. We didn't open it after they died."
"We have to clean it now," Zoe said, looking at the layers of dust.
"We have to clean all this now?" Kael asked, his voice full of disbelief.
"Yeah, we're going to stay here for a while, right?" Zoe replied.
Ethan smiled. "I have something helpful." He went to his bike and came back dragging a large bag. Kael asked what was in it, and Ethan opened the bag, revealing a small cleaning robot. "A robot!" Zoe exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Nice! Is it working?"
"Yeah," Ethan replied. "It's a new one from Nexus Corp, so there's no issue."
The moment Zoe heard the name 'Nexus Corp,' her expression changed. Without a word, she raised her leg and kicked the robot with all her might. It went flying out of the house, landing with a clatter on the porch.
"Hey! That cost nearly ninety thousand, you know!" Ethan shouted.
"You idiot!" Zoe shouted back, her voice full of anger. "Why did you bring this here?"
"What happened? I brought it to help," he asked, completely confused.
"Look," Kael said, stepping between them. "I hacked the Nexus Corp server. I got hold of a file called 'The Zero-Day Protocol.' It contains the secrets and crimes of Nexus Corp. It's the whole truth, Ethan. Zoe was working at Nexus. She unknowingly sent me the file right as I was breaking into their database. Now, the company knows we're trying to expose them, so they're after us. Their security team—Nexus Corp security—raided my place four hours ago. We have the file, but it's locked. It has a password we don't know yet. They'll stop at nothing until they kill us and get it back."
Ethan's face went completely blank. He looked from Kael's intense eyes to Zoe's trembling hands, and the small apartment suddenly felt less like a safe house and more like a trap. "Kill us," he repeated, his voice barely a whisper. "I guess this explains the robot kick." He slowly straightened his back, taking a deep breath. "Alright. You both can stay here as long as you want. I will keep you both safe." Kael gave a short nod. "Ok."
Then they began to clean. Two hours later, it was finally done. Exhausted, they all fell asleep for the night.
The next morning, Kael and Zoe were alone in the house, waiting. When Ethan finally arrived, he set down a bag of food. "Did you bring it?" Kael asked, his voice low and hopeful.
"Bring what?" Zoe asked.
Ethan sighed. "Sorry, I couldn't get the CORE. But I brought this instead." He pulled out a clunky device with a small triangular base and a stick-like projector.
Zoe's eyes widened. "Is that a NODE?"
Kael's calm expression broke. "Yeah, it is."
"It's so old," Zoe said, frowning. "And less powerful. Why did you ask him to bring this?"
Kael looked at Ethan. "I asked for the CORE."
"The CORE costs too much," Ethan replied calmly. "We don't have that much money. So that's why I brought my old NODE. And It's still working."
"Okay, but it's such an old generation," Zoe argued. "It's going to be difficult to work with."
Kael looked at the device, disappointed. "Yes, it's old. The CORE was the third generation after this one." He sighed, then a new thought flickered in his eyes. "But don't forget, the Network Optical Device Engine—the NODE—was the best tech out there at the time. It was the foundation of the CORE."
"You know a lot about these things," Zoe observed.
"If your discussion is over, can you connect it now?" Ethan asked with a slight grin. Kael and Zoe gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry," Kael said.
They turned the device on and connected it to the city's network. Instantly, a notification popped up on the holographic screen: a breaking news alert from a news channel called Optic Media. Kael tapped it, and the image changed to a live broadcast of a news anchor with a serious expression. "Nexus Corp's main database has been successfully breached," she said. "A hacker named Kael stole company and user data with the help of a rogue employee named Zoe. The company has filed a case with the Cyber Security Unit, and the investigation has been taken on by the J-COD's Field Operations Division." The anchor's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "And there's a rumor that the case is being handled by a special group. The Phantom Division."
The three of them stared at the screen, a mix of shock and confusion on their faces. "The Phantom Division?"
Zoe stumbled back, her knees hitting a rickety wooden chair. She sank onto it, her body trembling, while Ethan stood beside her, his face pale with sudden, stark fear. Kael's expression, however, was a blank question mark. "What happened?" he asked, looking from Zoe to Ethan. "Why do you two look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Did you hear that, Kael?" Zoe's voice was a strained whisper. "The Phantom Division is working this case."
"What division?" Kael frowned. "I've never heard of it. I only know J-COD's Field Operations and Digital Forensics."
"You really don't know about them?" Zoe looked at him with disbelief, then began reciting the facts, her fear making her words sharp and fast. "Listen, you idiot. The Joint Cyber Operations Division, J-COD, has two key teams. Digital Forensics for tracing data, and Field Operations for on-the-ground work. You know that much." Kael nodded quickly. "I know all that. Get to the point!"
"Here's the point," Zoe snapped. "Within those two main forces, they established two special units three years ago. They only recruit the most skilled elites." She leaned forward, her eyes wide. "The Ghost Division. J-COD-TGD. They are the top-level talent for high-stakes digital missions, the most terrifying in all of J-COD for their ability to find anything online." She took a shaky breath. "And the other one is… The Phantom Division. J-COD-TPD. That's the elite, covert team for the most dangerous and sensitive missions. They are the most skilled, dangerous, and respected Division for field operations in J-COD."
"Hoo," Kael murmured, a slow, reckless grin spreading across his face. "So we're officially most wanted now."
"Don't joke!" Ethan hissed, gripping the back of Zoe's chair. "If the Phantom Division is working it, that means the Ghost Division is definitely involved too. Those two teams always work together. That means they'll find us within hours!"
"That's true," Zoe agreed, nodding weakly.
Kael's smile vanished. "Relax. You didn't hear what the anchor said. It was just a rumor."
With Kael's words, a small measure of calm returned. After a quick meal, Ethan gathered his things. "I should head out," he said quietly. "I'll check the perimeter and bring back more supplies tomorrow. Good luck." As Ethan left, Kael immediately went to work on the NODE, manipulating the clunky projector and tapping at its base.
"What are you doing now?" Zoe asked, frustration in her voice. "We should be using this to research our legal options."
Kael didn't look up, a slight, knowing smile on his lips. "I'm doing something much more important. Just rerouting the connection. You'll see." A moment later, a flickering blue screen appeared beside him.
"Good. So you managed to escape," Sol's voice echoed in the small, dusty room. "I'm impressed, Kael."
Zoe stared. "That's your AI, right? Where was she all this time?"
"Watching the guards at home," Kael explained.
"Ooh, then how did she come here?"
Kael tapped the dusty NODE. "I connected this to my CUBE remotely. I managed to bring Sol right here."
"So you didn't bring the CUBE with you?" she asked, worry creeping into her voice.
"No, I left it when the guards came. I thought you knew that."
"You didn't tell me that, so how could I know?" Zoe snapped. "Without the CUBE, how can we crack the password?"
"That's why I connected it," Kael explained, pointing to the NODE. "The CUBE has the processing power, and Sol has the access."
"And did you forget that file was a tracker?" Zoe pressed. "It was sending a live location to Nexus Corp. That's how they found your house."
"How did you know that?" Zoe asked, turning to the flickering hologram.
"I found out when they were approaching," Sol replied calmly. "And I can display everything stored in the CUBE, including that file, right here without sharing our location with the network."
Zoe was surprised. She looked at Kael. "Your AI is better than you."
"I was the one who created her," Kael replied with a hint of pride. He then turned to his AI. "What's happening at home?"
"They're still there," Sol replied. "They know you left the CUBE, so they're thinking you'll come back for it."
"Okay," Kael nodded. "Sol, display that file here." A protected holographic file appeared in the room, and immediately, Kael and Zoe got to work.
Two full days of relentless hacking blurred into a haze of failed attempts and rising anxiety. Kael's fingers slammed against the Dusk, fueled by stale coffee and a desperate need to break the code. The file's security was stronger than they ever imagined, and every minute was a reminder that their time was running out.
Then, on the night of the third day, as Zoe and Kael hunched over the flickering, locked file, a sound cut through the quiet. Faint, slow footsteps echoed in the hall outside. They both froze, standing still as statues, their eyes meeting, wide with the same chilling question.
The sound of the footsteps grew louder. Closer. Moving toward the house. They were no longer faint whispers, but heavy, deliberate steps.