The hideout’s dim light flickered as Dax spread out the stolen blueprint of the server tower on the makeshift table. The map was a web of interconnected rooms, stairwells, and access points, each labeled with cryptic designations that spoke to the tower’s critical role in the Overlords’ operation. Elior and Vera leaned over the map, their faces tense with concentration.

  “This is the Nexus Core,” Dax said, pointing to the tower’s heart. “It houses a fragment of the Overlords’ hive mind. If we destroy it or even disrupt it, their entire network could collapse.”

  Vera traced her finger along the perimeter. “And these?”

  “Automated defenses. Turrets, drones, pressure sensors. The works,” Dax replied. “I helped install some of them. They’re programmed to respond to anything not broadcasting a System ID.”

  “Which means us,” Vera said, her tone sharp.

  Dax nodded. “Exactly. The tower’s AI can override manual controls in seconds. We’ll need to be fast and precise.”

  Elior’s gaze lingered on the Nexus Core’s location. “If we succeed,” he said softly, “what happens to the Echoes?”

  The question hung in the air. Dax’s jaw tightened, but it was Vera who broke the silence.

  “We don’t know,” she admitted. “But if we don’t act, they’ll keep erasing them. At least this way, we give them a chance.”

  Elior’s shoulders slumped. “A chance isn’t the same as freedom.”

  Vera reached out, placing a hand on his arm. “We’re fighting for them, Elior. For everyone the Overlords have used and discarded. We can’t let guilt paralyze us now.”

  Vera pulled up a digital interface on her wrist, overlaying a schematic of the tower’s security protocols onto the blueprint. Red indicators flared up, highlighting the dense web of defenses.

  “The primary challenge is this,” she said, pointing to the tower’s mainframe room. “It’s shielded by biometric locks and heat sensors. Dax, can you still bypass these?”

  Dax studied the layout, his brows furrowing. “I’ll need a clean entry. If I can get to the security hub here,” he said, tapping a secondary control room, “I can disable the biometric locks for about two minutes. That’ll be your window.”

  “And the turrets?” Elior asked.

  “I can hack them,” Vera said, her voice confident. “But it’ll take time. You two will need to keep them off me while I’m in the system.”

  “So we split up,” Elior said, the plan taking shape in his mind. “Dax handles the security hub, Vera deals with the turrets, and I…”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “You keep us alive,” Vera said, her tone soft but firm.

  Elior met her gaze, seeing the unspoken trust in her eyes. He nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  As they prepared, the tension simmered. Dax sat sharpening his plasma blades, while Vera double-checked her hacking gear. Elior paced, his thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and responsibility.

  “What if we’re wrong?” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. “What if taking down the Nexus Core hurts more people than it helps?”

  Vera looked up, her expression guarded. “There’s always collateral damage in a fight like this, Elior. But if we let fear stop us, we’re letting the Overlords win.”

  “Easy to say when you’ve made peace with it,” Elior shot back. “But I’ve seen what they’ve done. I hear the Echoes every time I summon them. They’re not just tools for our fight. They were people.”

  Dax’s voice was quiet but firm. “And they’re counting on us to stop this. You’re not alone in this guilt, Elior. But if we don’t act, their suffering continues.”

  Elior stopped pacing, his hands clenching at his sides. After a long moment, he nodded. “Then we can’t fail.”

  The approach to the tower was nerve-wracking. They moved under the cover of darkness, the city’s hum masking their steps. The tower loomed ahead, its metallic surface reflecting the faint light of the skyline. Drones patrolled the perimeter, their sensors sweeping in predictable patterns.

  “Wait,” Dax whispered, raising a hand. A drone hovered nearby, its red light scanning the alley. The trio pressed against the wall, holding their breath until it moved on.

  “Clear,” Dax said, motioning them forward.

  At the base of the tower, Vera connected her interface to a maintenance port. Her fingers danced over the holographic display, disabling the first layer of security.

  “Door’s open,” she said. “Go.”

  They slipped inside, the sterile halls eerily silent. The tower’s cold, clinical atmosphere made every sound—every footstep, every breath—feel deafening. Dax led them to a service elevator, overriding the lock with practiced ease.

  “Security hub’s on the next floor,” he said. “I’ll handle it. You two stay on comms.”

  Elior and Vera nodded as the elevator doors closed behind him.

  The turret room was a nightmare of gleaming gun barrels and glowing sensors. Vera crouched behind a console, her interface projecting a stream of data as she worked to disable the system.

  “This… is going to take longer than I thought,” she muttered, her brow furrowed in concentration.

  “How long?” Elior asked, his voice tense.

  “Five minutes. Maybe more.”

  “We don’t have five minutes,” Elior said, glancing at the turrets. Their sensors were beginning to twitch, as if sensing something amiss.

  The first turret whirred to life, its barrel swiveling toward them. Elior reacted instinctively, summoning the Echoes. They surged forward, their spectral forms clawing at the turret’s systems. The turret sputtered, its targeting offline, but the strain hit Elior hard. He gritted his teeth, his knees shaking as the Echoes’ cries filled his mind.

  “Keep going,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’ve got this.”

  As Vera worked, a faint whisper reached Elior’s ears. He turned, his heart racing. A single Echo stood apart from the others, its form clearer, more defined. Its gaze locked onto his, its voice low and cryptic.

  “Beware the silence,” it said. “It will consume you all.”

  Elior’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean?” he whispered, but the Echo faded, its warning echoing in his mind.

  “Elior!” Vera’s voice snapped him back. “I’m in. Let’s move.”

  Shaking off the Echo’s words, Elior followed Vera as she disabled the last turret. The path to the Nexus Core was open, but the cryptic warning lingered, a dark shadow over their mission.

  The trio pressed onward, their unity forged in the crucible of shared danger. They knew the risks, but their resolve was unshaken. As the Nexus Core loomed ahead, they prepared to strike the Overlords where it hurt most, their determination tempered by the knowledge that failure was not an option.