The stench of rust and damp concrete filled Emilio’s nose as he crawled through the narrow vent, his body still flickering between solid and distorted. Every few seconds, his limbs phased in and out, his fingers glitching like a corrupted image. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay present. If he lost control here, he’d collapse the whole damn shaft on top of them.
Behind him, Daphnie moved quickly, her breathing steady despite the tension crackling in the air.
The scientists had found them too fast. Too easily.
That wasn’t an accident.
Something about this felt wrong.
The vent led them into a maintenance tunnel beneath the city, the air thick with the scent of stagnant water. Emilio landed in a crouch, his senses on high alert. The tunnel stretched into darkness ahead of them, the distant sound of dripping water echoing through the hollow space.
Daphnie dropped down beside him. “We keep moving. There’s a safe house nearby.”
He turned to her, his body still flickering. “How did they find us?” His voice was lower now, edged with something dangerous.
Daphnie hesitated. “I don’t know.”
He growled, fangs lengthening. “Don’t lie to me.”
Her eyes met his, unwavering. “I’m not lying, Emilio. But I don’t think this was just bad luck.” She exhaled, frustration flickering across her face. “They let us escape.”
His muscles tensed. “Why would they do that?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I think we were meant to run.”
The thought sent a chill down his spine. He had been trained to recognize manipulation, to sense when someone else was pulling the strings. If they wanted him to escape, then it meant one thing—
They were still in control.
The glitch inside him pulsed. He clenched his fists, fighting against the urge to let it take over.
He wasn’t their pawn. Not anymore.
“We can’t go to the safe house,” he muttered.
Daphnie frowned. “What? Why?”
“Because if they expected us to run, then they know where we’re going,” he said. “If we walk into a safe house, we’ll be walking into a trap.”
Daphnie cursed under her breath. “Then where do we
