The night outside Mira's hideout was thick, the kind of darkness that felt almost alive.
Elias slipped the USB drive Mira had given him into the pocket of his hoodie. His heart was pounding—not from fear, but from the sharp, electric thrill of finally knowing something about himself.
But it didn't take long for reality to slam into him.
As soon as he stepped outside, he knew something was wrong.
Too quiet.
Even the usual distant sirens of the city seemed muted.
He adjusted the strap of his backpack and pretended to tie his shoe at the curb, scanning the dim street out of the corner of his eye.
That's when he saw them.
Two figures—dark jackets, sunglasses even at night, moving toward him with mechanical precision.
---
> Immediate Danger Detected.
Activate Emergency Protocols?
[Y/N]
Elias didn't hesitate.
"Yes!" he muttered under his breath.
A soft click inside the Watch.
> Reward Activated:
+20% Speed Boost (Temporary)
+Tactical Awareness (Short-Term Skill)
---
Without waiting, Elias bolted.
The world seemed sharper—the edges of trash cans, the unevenness of the sidewalk, the glint of something metal dropped on the ground—all vivid in his mind.
His enhanced awareness screamed at him: Left! Over the fence! Duck under the pipe!
He obeyed without thinking, adrenaline and the Watch guiding him like a second brain.
Behind him, footsteps thundered.
Voices barked orders into radios.
They were faster than normal people—probably augmented too.
But Elias was faster now.
And smarter.
And desperate.
--
As he sprinted down a narrow alley, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in a cracked mirror.
"Man," he thought with grim amusement, "I'm not even handsome enough yet to die dramatically."
He vaulted over a dumpster and into a side street, breathing hard, heart hammering.
---
The city didn't care that he was being hunted.
People walked by, too busy staring at their phones or avoiding eye contact to notice a teenager sprinting for his life.
It hurt.
Not physically—but emotionally.
The world was too broken.
Too blind.
And now, Elias was supposed to save it?
Or whatever the Watch wanted him to do?
He wasn't even sure he could save himself.
---
A beat-up taxi slowed at the curb. The driver—a woman in her 40s with curly black hair and dark skin—stuck her head out.
"You getting in or planning to die, kid?"
No hesitation. Elias dove into the back seat.
"Drive!" he gasped.
The woman grinned, unphased. "Buckle up."
The cab peeled away just as the black-suited figures rounded the corner.
--
Name: Joyce Abernathy
Age: 43
Profession: Part-time taxi driver, full-time conspiracy theorist
Appearance: Dark brown skin, broad shoulders, round face with laugh lines, dyed pink streak in her hair
Personality: Sarcastic, sharp-witted, suspicious of everything
Flaws: Trust issues, compulsive hoarder of "emergency supplies" in her trunk
Strengths: Excellent driver, knows every backroad and secret route in the city
---
Elias slumped back against the seat, gasping for breath.
"Who are you?" he wheezed.
Joyce shrugged.
"Someone who owes your dead father a favor."
Elias sat bolt upright.
"You knew my dad?"
Joyce just smirked and changed lanes aggressively.
"Kid, you're about to find out your life is weirder than any sci-fi novel you've ever read."
She tossed him a can of soda from the front seat.
"Drink up. You'll need the sugar when the Watch gives you your next nightmare assignment."
---