The ground beneath their feet trembled violently, the roar of alarms filling the air as Facility Zeta began its self-destruct countdown. Sparks crackled in the overhead wires, and red lights flickered erratically. Seojun gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around Thanatos's body. There was no time to mourn. He had to act fast.
"Hana, now!" Seojun yelled, hoisting Thanatos's limp form over his shoulder.
Hana was already running, her footsteps echoing in the hallway. She didn't look back as she sprinted toward the extraction point.
"We need to get out, fast! The place is coming down!" she shouted, her voice urgent.
Seojun followed, his mind racing. The Syndicate's twisted plans were far from over. Thanatos's final words were still echoing in his ears. Phase Three. What the hell did it mean? What were they planning? And what did it have to do with the larger conspiracy that had been unraveling for months?
As they neared the exit, the walls shook again, sending debris raining down from the ceiling. The blast doors that were supposed to keep the facility secure groaned in protest, but they were no match for the impending explosion.
"This way!" Hana veered off, pushing open a hidden maintenance hatch just as the alarms reached a deafening crescendo. She glanced over her shoulder. "Come on! We don't have much time!"
Seojun followed without hesitation, ducking under the low entryway and into a narrow service tunnel. The hatch slammed shut behind them with a heavy thud.
The sound of the countdown echoed from the distant facility, growing louder and more frantic. Hana checked her wrist monitor, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Ten minutes," she said. "We're almost there. Just hang on."
Seojun nodded, keeping his focus on the path ahead. He could hear the clanging of boots behind him, and he knew they were not alone. The Syndicate would have dispatched reinforcements by now.
As they reached a series of rusted maintenance doors, Hana paused.
"This leads to the underground substation. It's our only way out. But..." She hesitated, her eyes narrowing. "If we don't make it in time, we'll be trapped in the collapse."
Seojun's grip on Thanatos tightened. He glanced at the countdown timer on Hana's wrist and then back at the rapidly crumbling structure. They had to move.
"Open it, now!" he urged, his voice sharp.
With a swift motion, Hana yanked a lever, and the heavy doors groaned open, revealing a steep, dimly lit staircase descending deep into the earth. The cold air hit them like a gust of wind, sharp and biting.
They descended quickly, the crunch of their boots echoing in the tunnel. Seojun's mind was racing, trying to piece together the fragments of information he'd learned from Thanatos. What had the Syndicate been planning? Why had they used him as a pawn? And what did Phase Three involve?
The countdown was reaching its final minutes.
"We're almost there," Hana said, glancing over her shoulder.
A low rumble filled the tunnel. The sound of an explosion. The building above them shook once more, and the emergency lights flickered out, leaving them in near-complete darkness.
Seojun pushed forward, driven by a desperate need for answers, and finally reached the end of the stairs. The tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber, the dim glow of emergency lights illuminating rows of old, abandoned machinery.
They were nearly there.
But then, a familiar voice echoed from the shadows.
"Not so fast."
Seojun whipped around, his heart pounding. Standing in the doorway was a tall figure, cloaked in dark armor. A helmet obscured most of his face, but the red insignia on his chest left no doubt.
It was Agent K.
"You didn't think you could escape that easily, did you?"