The tires screamed against the wet asphalt, the city nearly asleep at 3AM, streets deserted, shadows stretching long and sinister.
A bullet struck the rear bumper with a metallic shriek, jolting the car, sending shards of metal into the night. Calixta's knuckles whitened, sweat beading her forehead.
"Take the next turn!" Nova screamed.
Calixta jerked the wheel into a twisting alley, the car skidding dangerously, nearly scraping the walls. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, the black car disappeared from view. Silence swallowed the night.
"Did we—?" Nova began, voice trembling.
"No," Calixta said, teeth gritted. "You don't understand. You can't just lose Lucien Kael. He always finds you."
The roar of the engine behind them returned immediately, headlights cutting through the darkness. Lucien had predicted their turn.
"Shit!" Calixta yelled, swerving sharply. The car skidded sideways, tires screeching.
Through the windshield, she saw him step out of the black car, gun in hand. His movements were calm, deliberate, almost playful, as if the chase thrilled him.
"Calix..." His voice echoed down the alley, low and haunting. "Why are you running from me?"
Calixta's chest tightened. She wanted to scream, but Nova grabbed her shoulder, shaking her. "Keep moving! Don't stop!"
Calixta slammed her foot on the gas again, tires squealing, as the city blurred into streaks of red and gold behind them.
The hunter's eyes were fixed on her, and he wasn't letting go.
Calixta's hands shook on the wheel, the tires screaming against the slick asphalt. Nova's voice was frantic beside her, urging her to turn, swerve, anything to throw Lucien off their trail.
For a moment, it seemed to work. The black car faded in the distance, its engine's roar becoming muffled as they twisted through side streets.
"Think we lost him?" Nova panted, gripping the seat.
"Maybe... maybe not," Calixta muttered, eyes scanning the road. Her foot pressed harder on the gas, adrenaline flooding her veins.
Then, in a split second, a shadow loomed ahead.
"Brake!" Nova shouted.
Calixta slammed the brakes, but the wet pavement betrayed her. The car skidded violently, tires spinning, glass rattling. The world tilted as the car slammed into the side barrier. Metal screamed. The impact sent them twisting, spinning, before the vehicle finally came to a shuddering halt.
Calixta pressed her hands to her face, chest heaving. Nova groaned beside her, slumped against the seat, eyes wide in shock.
Through the cracked windshield, city lights blurred and swayed. The distant echo of a car horn reminded her Lucien was still out there, waiting, watching.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the crash had stolen her breath.
Everything is spiraling.
Lucien's POV
He had watched them disappear into the alley, feeling the thrill and frustration coiling in his chest. They thought they could escape.
He had anticipated the turns, calculated the angles, but the reckless driving, the panic, it would catch up to them. It always did.
The sudden screeching of metal and glass rang through the distance. Lucien's pulse quickened, not with fear, but satisfaction. They had collided. They were vulnerable now.
His hand tightened around the gun, eyes gleaming with obsession. Soon, very soon, they'll understand who owns them.
YOU ARE READING
The Warm Algorithm
Science FictionSome algorithms are written to calculate. Others are written to feel. Calixta thought she was only chasing light in the digital void, but what she found was something more, something alive. The Warm Algorithm unravels the hauntingly beautiful story...
