The tunnel shook.
Lexi felt the vibration deep in her bones, like a warning. It wasn't just the faint tremor of an explosion or a distant impact. This was something closer. More deliberate. Something meant to rattle them — to make them afraid.
Jace's face went rigid, his eyes flicking toward the tunnel entrance. "We need to move, now."
"What's happening?" Lexi asked, her voice tight with urgency.
"They've found us," Jace said, his hand gripping her arm with surprising strength. "Catherine's forces are closing in, and we don't have much time."
Lexi felt the weight of his words settle over her, but a strange sense of calm washed over her as well. She had felt that hum when the bracelet activated — the surge of power now coursing through her veins was more than just an enhancement. It was a connection, a force that bound her to something greater than herself. Something she was just starting to understand.
Jace led the way, quickly but quietly, his eyes scanning the tunnel as if expecting danger at every turn. The walls of the underground cavern were smooth stone, coated with decades of dust and grime. But they weren't alone down here.
Footsteps echoed in the distance, sharp and methodical. They weren't human. The sound was too mechanical. Too precise.
"Stay low," Jace hissed, dropping to a crouch. He motioned for Lexi to follow.
She obeyed, her heart pounding as the footsteps grew louder, closer.
Lexi's senses were heightened now, every shift in the air, every subtle change in the environment, sending adrenaline coursing through her. Her hand instinctively went to the small weapon holstered at her side — one of the compact stun guns she had found in the cache. It felt almost natural in her hand, like it belonged there, like she belonged in this world of tech and secrets.
"We can't fight them here," Jace whispered, glancing over his shoulder. "They're too many, and they're too well-equipped. We need to get out of this tunnel before we're surrounded."
"Then let's move," Lexi said, determination hardening her voice.
They crept forward, their movements synchronized, as though they were one. The passage twisted and turned, each corner feeling like another chance to be caught. But Lexi felt something shift inside her, a growing certainty. No longer was she the scared girl from the house. No longer was she just a pawn in someone else's game.
She was a force in her own right.
They reached the end of the tunnel, a large metal door blocking their way. Lexi noticed the familiar symbols etched into its surface — the same ones she had seen on the bracelet and the stone cache.
"What's this?" she asked, pressing her fingers to the cold surface.
"A passageway to a safehouse," Jace replied. "Your parents built these all over the world. They never wanted you to be alone."
Lexi's breath caught, and for a moment, she almost let herself feel the weight of that — the idea that, in the midst of all this chaos, her parents had left her something. A legacy, a map to a future beyond her fears.
Jace pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed it against the door. There was a soft whirr, followed by a hiss as the door slowly slid open, revealing a vast, underground chamber.
The room was bathed in dim blue light. Sleek computers hummed softly, their screens flickering with encrypted data. More weapons were stacked along the walls — weapons that looked too advanced for the world Lexi had known. She could feel the power in this place, the pulse of something larger than her.
Jace turned to her. "This is where it begins. Your real training starts now."
Lexi nodded, her mind racing. "What do we do first?"
Jace grinned, his gray eyes flashing with something close to pride. "We prepare for war."
Before Lexi could respond, the sound of distant gunfire echoed through the tunnels, followed by the unmistakable hiss of incoming missiles.
Jace's face hardened. "They're getting closer. It's time."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to one of the computers. Lexi hesitated for only a moment before sitting down beside him, watching as his fingers flew over the keys. The screen flickered with codes and images that she couldn't quite make sense of — but she didn't need to.
This was where her parents had left her everything. The tools. The knowledge. The path to her destiny.
A soft beep sounded, and a holographic map appeared before them. The layout of a facility Lexi didn't recognize. Several red dots blinked, moving closer to their location.
Jace turned to her. "They're here."
In that moment, Lexi felt the full weight of the situation. This wasn't just a fight for survival anymore. This was a war for her future.
Her heart raced, but there was no fear in it now — only purpose.
"They're not going to stop, are they?" she asked, her voice steady.
"No," Jace replied. "But neither are we."
Lexi took a deep breath, steadying herself as she stood. The power surging through her was undeniable, but she knew it wasn't just about the strength she had now — it was about what she was willing to do with it.
Her parents had given her the tools to fight, the knowledge to win. They had given her a future.
It was time to take it.
"Then let's end this," Lexi said, her voice cold with resolve.
Jace smiled — a fierce, knowing smile. "That's the spirit."
They moved together toward the door. The storm was closing in. But Lexi was no longer running from it.
She was walking right into its heart.