The echoes of footsteps grew louder, reverberating through the dimly lit corridors of the subgrid. Kai's pulse quickened as he forced himself to sit up against the cold wall, the metallic surface digging painfully into his back. His vision swam in and out of focus, the edges of the world blurring from exhaustion, blood loss, and the overwhelming pain that throbbed from his side.
He had survived the creature—barely. But now he was faced with something far worse: the prospect of facing whatever was making those footsteps. His body was spent, his energy drained. He had no more strength to fight. If they found him now, he wouldn't make it out.
Kai's breath came in shallow bursts as he reached for the makeshift weapon—the jagged piece of metal he'd used earlier to fend off the creature. His hand trembled as it closed around it, the metal cool and reassuring in his grip. But his chances of surviving a second fight, especially in this condition, were slim.
The footsteps grew louder.
His eyes flicked to the dimly glowing screen of his wristband, his status flashing in his vision.
[Health: 12/120][Stamina: Critical][Warning: Wound Detected – Blood Loss Critical][Skill: Temporal Warp – Cooldown 1 Hour]
His Temporal Warp ability was still locked down, his body too battered for him to use it again. He couldn't escape.
The footsteps stopped, and the silence that followed was suffocating. Kai's heart pounded in his chest, every beat echoing through his ears like a drum.
Then, a voice. Cold. Calculating.
"You're still alive," the voice said. "How disappointing."
The words sent a chill down Kai's spine. It was a woman's voice—sharp and filled with disdain. He didn't recognize it, but he didn't need to. The contempt dripping from her tone made it clear who he was dealing with.
Another figure emerged from the shadows. Tall. Lean. Dressed in dark, tactical gear that barely made a sound as she moved. The woman's features were sharp, her eyes like a predator's—intense, calculating. She was not alone. Behind her, a hulking figure loomed, one of the Scavengers Kai had seen earlier, his massive frame nearly filling the doorway.
The woman stepped forward, her gaze locking on him with cold amusement. She didn't seem to care about the blood smeared across his torn clothes or the exhaustion that weighed heavily on him.
"You've made a mess of things, haven't you?" she asked, her lips curling into a smirk. "I thought you'd be more… resourceful. But you're just another rat trying to survive. Pathetic."
Kai didn't respond. He couldn't. His throat was dry, his muscles screaming for rest. His instincts, however, told him to keep his mouth shut. There was no point in antagonizing her.
The hulking figure behind her took a step forward, cracking his knuckles. He was large—probably twice Kai's size, with a face twisted into an expression of smug satisfaction.
"Should we just finish him off, boss?" the large man growled, his voice low and guttural.
The woman raised a hand, stopping him. "Not yet. Let's see what he's got left." She turned her gaze back to Kai, studying him with a predatory gleam in her eyes.
"Tell me, little rat," she said, her voice turning sharp. "What are you doing here? You're no different than the others, just another desperate soul trying to find a way out of this hellhole." Her gaze swept over the room, the derelict machinery, the scattered debris. "You've come to the wrong place."
Kai opened his mouth, his throat dry, but his words caught in his chest. He couldn't speak. His vision was swimming, his head spinning. He couldn't think straight.
The woman's lips curled into a smile. "I thought as much," she said softly, more to herself than to him. "You're just like the rest. Pathetic."
Her gaze lingered for a moment longer, studying him as though she were savoring the moment. Kai's heart raced, his muscles locking in place. His body was ready to collapse at any moment, but he forced himself to stand, to keep his back against the wall. He couldn't let them think he was weak.
The large man behind her chuckled. "You're really going to try and fight us?" he said, shaking his head. "You're a joke."
Kai's fingers tightened around the metal shard. He didn't know what he was hoping for—whether he could somehow turn the tide or if it was all just hopeless.
"Boss," the large man said again, taking a step forward. "Let's just kill him and move on. He's not worth the trouble."
The woman didn't respond immediately. Instead, she continued to study Kai, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Maybe you're not worth it," she said, as though she were speaking to herself. "But I'm curious. You survived back there—how?"
Kai's breath hitched in his chest. The last thing he wanted was to engage with them, to explain himself. But something in the woman's eyes—something cold, calculating—told him that she wouldn't just let him go.
He needed to buy time. He needed to figure out what to do next. His mind raced, trying to formulate a plan. But his options were limited.
"What do you want from me?" Kai rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.
The woman tilted her head, considering him. "You're a survivor, and I'm intrigued. But don't mistake my curiosity for kindness. If you don't start talking, I'll make sure you never have a chance to speak again."
Kai swallowed, forcing himself to stand straighter, to not let them see how much he was struggling. "I don't have anything to offer," he said hoarsely. "I'm just trying to survive."
The woman took a slow step toward him. "Oh, I'm sure you are. But this is the subgrid, little rat. Everyone here is just trying to survive. The difference is, some of us are smart enough to know that survival comes at a price."
She stepped even closer, her face inches from his. He could smell the faint scent of her perfume, mixed with the metallic tang of sweat and blood.
"Here's the deal, kid," she said, her voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. "You can either be a pawn or you can be useful. If you're useful, we can let you go. If not…" Her gaze shifted toward the hulking man behind her, and the message was clear.
Kai's blood ran cold. There was no way out of this. But even as panic threatened to take over, something inside him stirred. A spark of defiance. He wasn't going to roll over. Not here. Not now.
"I'm not your pawn," he said, his voice hoarse but firm.
The woman's smile widened. "We'll see."
Suddenly, she turned away, motioning for the large man to follow. "We've wasted enough time here," she said. "Let's move on. He's not worth it."
The large man grunted, giving Kai one last look before following her into the darkness.
Kai let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. His legs gave out beneath him, and he slumped against the wall, feeling the weight of his survival crash over him.
But he knew this was far from over. In this world, survival was never a guarantee.
And as the footsteps faded into the distance, Kai realized one painful truth:
The price of survival was never cheap.
[End of Chapter 7]