The tunnel shook around them as they ran — not from explosions, not from machinery…
From him.
The Citadel operative wasn't sprinting.He didn't need to.
His footsteps were slow, methodical, echoing down the concrete corridor like a countdown.
Alex stumbled, gripping Kayden's sleeve with shaking fingers.
"Kayden— Kayden— he's CLOSING IN— he's not even RUNNING— why isn't he RUNNING?!"
Phineas answered without looking back, voice sharp, breath tight:
"Because he doesn't have to.Citadel operatives don't chase.They collect."
Kayden forced his legs to move faster, lungs burning, chest tight from the earlier sync.
APEX flickered erratically beside him — its glow broken, patches of code missing, voice shaking:
"Commander… system failure imminent…partial sync damage…processing delay— error— error—"
Alex gripped Kayden harder.
"APEX is BREAKING— Kayden, he can't guide you— we're blind— we're—"
Kayden steadied him, even while running.
"Alex. Breathe."
Phineas skidded around a corner, nearly slipping.
"This tunnel leads to the old metro maintenance grid. If we reach the ventilation yard, we can—"
He froze.
Kayden almost slammed into him.
"What— Phineas?!"
Phineas pointed.
The ventilation yard gate — their escape route — was sealed.
Not welded.Not locked.
Frozen.
A thick layer of shimmering blue matter covered it like crystallized light.
Alex's voice cracked into a scream.
"HE SHUT THE EXIT— HOW? HOW IS HE DOING THIS?!"
Phineas whispered, horrified:
"Quantum-locking…Only the Citadel has that tech…"
Kayden spun around—
The operative stood at the far end of the tunnel.
Still.Silent.Reflective visor staring directly at him.
Alex backed into Kayden's chest, shaking uncontrollably.
"Kayden… Kayden… don't let him touch you— PLEASE don't let him—"
APEX forced a weak pulse:
"Commander…He is marking escape routes and closing them in real-time.He is predicting your movement."
Phineas's mind raced faster than his heartbeat.
"Then we don't go where he expects."
Kayden nodded once.
"Down?"
Phineas's eyes widened.
"Yes. DOWN."
Alex's voice cracked again.
"Down WHERE?! This is a CLOSED tunnel, we CAN'T go down—"
Kayden grabbed the emergency grating in the floor.
"Phineas— help me!"
Phineas kicked the side bolts.Kayden ripped the panel upward with raw adrenaline.
Below them:
A vertical shaft.Dark.Deep.Holding a ladder that had rusted years ago.
Alex choked.
"Oh hell no— NO— Kayden— NO— I'm scared of HEIGHTS and HOLES and DARKNESS— I CAN'T—"
Kayden grabbed Alex's face with both hands.
"Alex."
Alex froze.
Kayden's voice was steady, warm, and terrifyingly certain.
"I will not let you fall."
Alex trembled…then nodded, tears in his eyes.
Kayden pushed him gently into the shaft.Phineas followed, climbing fast despite the shaking ladder.
Kayden moved to descend last—
A soft hum vibrated through the tunnel.
He froze.
The operative extended his hand.
Blue waves of resonance rippled outward.
APEX SCREAMED:
"RESONANCE PULSE— JUMP— NOW—!"
Kayden jumped down the shaft just as the pulse hit the tunnel.
BOOOOM—!!
The entire corridor above them collapsed inward — concrete crushing the emergency panel shut, sealing them into darkness.
Alex screamed below him,"KAYDEN— KAYDEN ARE YOU ALIVE—?!"
Kayden gripped the ladder, breath heavy.
"I'm here!"
But when he looked up…
The operative was staring down the shaft.
Perfectly still.
Perfectly calm.
Like gravity and distance were meaningless.
He raised one hand—
And the ladder BENT.
Metal groaned, shrieking under invisible force.
Alex sobbed,"HE'S CRUSHING THE LADDER— KAYDEN GO FASTER— PLEASE—"
Kayden climbed down rapidly.
The ladder bent again.
This time, closer.
APEX's voice cracked:
"Commander— he is adjusting gravitational vectors—He is trying to PULL YOU UP."
Kayden felt his feet leave the rung for a split second.
Alex SCREAMED.
"NO— KAYDEN— PLEASE— NOT HIM— NOT THE CITADEL— PLEASE—"
Phineas reached up, grabbed Kayden's wrist with white-knuckled desperation.
"I've GOT you!"
The gravity vector shattered — Kayden dropped another five feet, catching the next rung.
Below them, the maintenance tunnel opened into a larger chamber.
"Jump!" Phineas yelled."It's a service platform— GO— NOW!"
Kayden jumped.
Alex and Phineas caught him, staggering backward with the impact.
Kayden turned immediately — breath sharp, chest burning.
Up the shaft, the operative watched.
Not frustrated.Not angry.
Correcting his calculations.Adjusting the hunt.Learning Kayden.
PHINEAS whispered, terrified:
"He's treating you like an evolving variable…He's studying you."
Alex grabbed Kayden's shirt, crying.
"K-Kayden… he won't STOP… he won't ever STOP… he's going to TAKE you—"
Kayden pulled Alex close, steadying him.
"No.He will NOT."
APEX flickered — faint, almost transparent.
"Commander…Citadel operative is altering entry point.He will be in the next tunnel in…40 seconds."
Phineas's eyes widened.
"We need a plan."
Kayden exhaled once — calm, terrifyingly calm.
"We make one."
Alex wiped his tears, shaking.
"Kayden… what if we can't?"
Kayden looked at Alex — then up the shaft.The operative's silhouette still stood there, waiting, watching.
Kayden's voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"Then we show him we're not prey."