The walls of the underground facility felt like they were closing in on Lexi. The hum of machines and distant explosions vibrated through her bones, a constant reminder of the chaos that was unfolding above ground. She tried not to focus on the pounding in her chest or the feeling that something—something was always just behind her, watching, waiting for the moment when she'd crack under the pressure.
Jace led her down a narrow, dimly lit hallway, his hand firm against her back, guiding her with a precision that suggested he'd done this countless times. They didn't stop, didn't speak, the only sound was the rhythmic thumping of their boots against the steel floors and the occasional crackle of the radio in Jace's pocket. Lexi wanted to ask questions, wanted to scream at him to explain everything, but she couldn't—she didn't have the words, didn't have the strength to fight the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.
The further they moved, the more the air around her seemed to thrum with anticipation. Every door they passed, every darkened hallway they crossed, whispered secrets Lexi couldn't begin to comprehend. She felt as though she was stepping into a world that wasn't meant for her, and yet—there she was, the key to a future that felt both terrifying and inevitable.
They stopped in front of a large steel door, sleek and polished, as if it belonged in another world entirely. Jace's fingers danced over a keypad, entering a string of numbers so fast Lexi couldn't even follow. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a control room on the other side.
Inside, it was everything Lexi had imagined: glowing screens, blinking lights, and a low hum that made the space feel alive, as if the room itself was breathing. The chaos of the outside world seemed distant here, as if this place existed in a vacuum, removed from the realities of the war happening just beyond its walls. Jace walked toward one of the terminals, his fingers flying across the console, muttering under his breath.
Lexi took a moment to absorb the room's contents. She noticed the array of monitors flashing data, the codes that scrolled endlessly across the screen, and the quiet tension in Jace's movements. But it wasn't the machines that caught her attention—it was what he had just said.
"Your parents left you something," Jace had told her earlier. "A key. Not just to this place, but to something bigger. Project Eden. The tech, the secrets—they're all connected to you. You're the missing piece."
Lexi's head spun with the words, but she couldn't shake the feeling of unease settling in her stomach. The pieces didn't fit. How could she be the missing piece? She had no training, no skills—nothing to prepare her for whatever it was that Jace was talking about. She had just been an ordinary girl, hidden away in that dark, suffocating house with Aunt Catherine.
"Jace," she called, stepping closer to him. Her voice was low but firm, though her hands still shook. "What exactly am I supposed to do here? What am I meant to be fighting for?"
Jace didn't look up from the terminal, his eyes locked on the screen, but his voice was steady as always. "What they left behind is more than just tech, Lexi. It's a weapon. A way to change the world. And you're the only one who can control it."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Control it? How do you know this? How do you know everything about me?" She wanted answers, but they only seemed to create more questions.
Jace finally turned, his gray eyes meeting hers. "I've been watching you for a long time, Lexi. You didn't think you were the only one looking for answers, did you?" He paused, studying her. "Your parents knew this day would come. That's why they kept you hidden, kept you safe. They left you the key, and now you're the one who has to unlock it."
The words settled over her like a cold, wet blanket. The idea that her parents had known what was coming—that they had planned for her to be the one to carry this burden—was almost too much to bear. She'd thought they were gone, wiped from the world in some dark conspiracy. But now… now it seemed they had known something she didn't. Something that had been kept from her her entire life.
Jace's voice brought her back to the present. "The world is changing, Lexi. The people who are coming after you—they want more than just your parents' legacy. They want control. And they'll do anything to get it."
Lexi swallowed hard, trying to push down the fear rising in her chest. She wanted to ask what he meant, to demand more answers. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening behind them. A figure stepped into the room, silhouetted against the bright lights of the control center. Lexi froze, her hand instinctively reaching for the stun gun at her side.
The woman in the doorway was tall, with sharp features and dark, calculating eyes. She wore black tactical gear, the insignia barely visible beneath the layers of fabric. The moment she stepped inside, Lexi could feel the weight of her presence in the room. The woman exuded an aura of authority—cold, unyielding, dangerous.
"Jace," the woman spoke, her voice smooth but carrying a warning edge. "You shouldn't have brought her here."
Jace's posture stiffened, but he didn't flinch. "You know what's at stake. You think I had a choice?"
The woman's gaze flicked toward Lexi, her eyes scanning her as though measuring her worth. "Your parents would have wanted her kept in the dark. They trusted me to protect her."
The tension in the room escalated, but Jace wasn't having it. "Your protection didn't exactly work out, did it?" He crossed his arms, leaning against the terminal. "If you were doing such a great job, we wouldn't be here right now."
The woman's lips twitched into something that wasn't quite a smile. It was a smile of someone who'd seen too much, someone who knew that not every fight could be won with words. "You think you can handle this alone, Jace? You think you've got all the answers?" She stepped forward, closer to Lexi now, her eyes narrowing. "You don't even know the full story, do you?"
Jace moved toward her, his jaw tight. "I know enough to get us through. We're out of time."
The woman's gaze shifted between them, calculating, as though she was sizing up both Jace and Lexi. "I'm Natalie," she said, finally. "And I'm here to help—whether you like it or not."
Lexi exchanged a glance with Jace. She didn't know if she could trust this woman, but in a world where trust was a luxury, she had little choice. If they were going to fight the people chasing her, they needed all the help they could get.
"What's next?" Lexi asked, her voice steady, her gaze unwavering.
Natalie turned to the control panel, typing in a series of commands. "We need to move quickly," she said, her voice cold but determined. "There's no telling how long we have before they find us. But if we can get to the mainframe, we might be able to stop them before they launch."
Jace's hand moved to Lexi's, pulling her toward the door. "Let's go," he said. "This is our chance."
Lexi nodded, her heart pounding. She had no idea what was coming next, but for the first time in her life, she knew what it meant to be ready for it.