The sound of footsteps echoed through the empty warehouse like a slow drumbeat, each step bringing the world closer to collapse.
Maya's heart pounded, not just from the chase but from the weight of everything that had led to this moment. They were close—too close—to the truth, and the danger was closing in faster than ever.
She glanced sideways at Callen, who moved with a quiet determination that was both reassuring and terrifying. They had come this far together, but the lines between ally and enemy had blurred beyond recognition. Every secret, every betrayal, lingered between them like a shadow neither could outrun.
The faint glow of a single hanging bulb cast long shadows, twisting the metal beams into shapes that seemed to watch, to judge. Somewhere in this maze of steel and dust lay the man who held the last key to the Serpent Protocol—a man who could end it all or doom them forever.
"We don't have much time," Callen whispered, voice low but steady. "He knows we're coming."
Maya swallowed hard. "Then we make sure he regrets waiting."
They slipped through the dark corridors, careful and silent. The air was thick with tension and a cold promise of violence. Each step was a step closer to answers, but also closer to the edge.
Suddenly, a faint click echoed behind them. Maya spun, gun raised, but it was only a rat scurrying into the shadows. She forced herself to breathe. Not yet. Not now.
Ahead, a heavy door stood ajar, a sliver of light spilling out like a beacon. The fight was there—waiting. The truth was there.
They exchanged a glance. This was it.
Callen nodded. "After you."
Maya stepped forward, crossing the threshold.
Inside, the room was a stark contrast to the cold corridors. Screens flickered with static and data streams, wires snaked across the floor like veins. In the center stood a figure, back turned, hands resting on a console. His silhouette was calm, almost regal, despite the chaos surrounding him.
"Welcome," the man said without turning. "I've been expecting you."
Maya's pulse quickened. "It ends tonight."
He turned slowly, revealing a face both familiar and twisted by obsession. "Yes. Tonight. But not how you think."
Callen stepped beside Maya, eyes locked on the man. "Who are you?"
"A necessary evil," he said, voice smooth as silk but laced with venom. "You call it the Serpent Protocol. I call it salvation."
Maya's mind reeled. "You destroyed lives for this 'salvation'?"
"Sacrifices must be made. The world is broken. This Protocol decides who survives. It is justice beyond governments, beyond laws."
She clenched her fists. "You don't get to play god."
He smiled, cold and cruel. "God doesn't exist here. Only power."
Suddenly, alarms blared, lights flashing red. The room shook as explosions rocked the building.
Callen grabbed Maya. "They're here."
Maya looked at the man, realizing the real enemy was not just him but the system that had created him.
She raised her weapon. "This ends now."
Gunfire erupted.
The End