The tunnels twisted and turned like a labyrinth, the air growing colder the deeper they went. Lexi's lungs burned, but she didn't dare slow down. Jace led the way, his steps quick and sure, one hand never straying far from the weapon holstered at his hip.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they reached a heavy steel door embedded into the rock wall. It looked ancient, scarred with rust and time, but when Jace pressed his palm against a hidden panel, it slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond.
"This way," he said urgently.
Lexi stepped into the hallway, her heart hammering. The safe house wasn't what she expected. It wasn't cozy or welcoming. It was sterile—like a bunker—cold concrete walls lined with flickering lights, the hum of old generators vibrating beneath their feet.
As they moved deeper inside, Lexi caught glimpses of rooms through cracked doors: a makeshift infirmary, stacks of ration packs, shelves of old tech and weapons. Whoever had built this place had prepared for war, not for comfort.
Jace led her to a small control room near the center of the bunker. A dusty console lit up under his touch, screens flickering to life, displaying grainy camera feeds from around the forest above.
Lexi watched the monitors, feeling a knot of unease tightening in her gut. The trees swayed in the wind, but otherwise... nothing.
Maybe they'd lost the drones.Maybe, just maybe, they were safe.
"You can breathe now," Jace said, glancing at her with a small, tired smile. "We've got a few hours before they find this place. Maybe more if we're lucky."
Lexi sank into a chair, the adrenaline draining from her body all at once. She felt hollow, trembling.
"I don't understand how any of this is real," she whispered.
"It's real," Jace said quietly. "And it's only going to get more real from here."
He moved around the room, checking systems, tapping into old feeds. Lexi watched him for a moment. He was younger than she first thought—maybe just a few years older than her—but there was a hardness in him, like he'd already seen too much.
"How do you know all this?" she asked suddenly. "About me. About my parents."
Jace hesitated, then leaned against the edge of the console, folding his arms.
"My parents worked for yours," he said finally. "My mother was one of the lead scientists on Project Eden. She believed in them—believed in you."
Lexi stared at him, stunned.
"What happened to her?" she asked softly.
Jace's face darkened. "Killed," he said bluntly. "When the Initiative fractured. When people realized what Eden could really do... the greed, the fear... it tore everything apart. They turned on each other. Assassins. Sabotage. My mother tried to protect some of the research, to keep it from falling into the wrong hands." He looked away, jaw clenched. "She paid for it."
Lexi swallowed hard. The pain in his voice was unmistakable.
"I'm sorry," she said, meaning it.
Jace shrugged, but the hurt lingered in his eyes. "I'm not here for pity. I'm here to finish what she started."
He turned back to the monitors, scanning the feeds with a soldier's intensity.
Lexi stood slowly, her legs still shaky. She moved toward a small table covered in papers—maps, schematics, old blueprints. As she brushed her fingers over them, she felt something shift inside her.
For so long, she'd believed she was nothing. Powerless. Invisible.
But maybe... maybe she was meant for something more.
Before she could say anything, the lights in the room flickered—and for a brief moment, the cameras all went black.
Jace cursed under his breath, moving fast to reboot the system.
Lexi's stomach twisted with dread. "What was that?"
"Could be a glitch," Jace said, though his tone said he didn't believe it.
The screens flashed back on—and that's when Lexi saw it.
Movement.
A figure slipping through the trees near the entrance.
Jace stiffened. "That's not one of ours."
Lexi leaned closer. The figure was cloaked, moving with terrifying precision, almost blending into the shadows.
"How did they find us so fast?" Lexi whispered, her heart hammering.
Jace grabbed a small comm device from the console, slipping it into his ear, and tossed Lexi a compact weapon—a slim, lightweight stun gun.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
Lexi gripped the weapon tightly, her palms slick with sweat.
They moved out into the hallway, every sense on high alert. The bunker seemed different now—less like a fortress, more like a tomb waiting to be filled.
As they rounded a corner toward the entrance, Lexi caught a glimpse of movement—a shadow sliding across the far wall.
They weren't alone.
Jace pressed his back against the concrete, motioning for her to stay low. He crept forward, weapon raised.
For a moment, Lexi thought whoever it was might retreat. That they'd sensed the trap.
But then a voice echoed down the hallway—smooth, calm, and chillingly familiar.
"Lexi."
Lexi froze.
It couldn't be. It couldn't be.
But it was.
Aunt Catherine stepped into the light, dressed not in her usual drab clothes, but in sleek tactical gear. Her smile was cold, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
"You didn't think you could hide from me, did you, darling?" she purred.
Lexi felt the floor drop away beneath her.
Catherine had found her. And she hadn't come to save her.
She had come to claim her.