The lobby of Nexacorp's headquarters felt like a cage closing in on them. The armed guards stationed in front of the glass doors were like iron bars, locking Elias and Mila in. Their breaths came in quick, shallow gasps, but the time for hesitation had passed.
Elias glanced at the file in his jacket, his heart pounding as the Watch's pulse echoed in his mind. The door was their only way out.
30 seconds.
A metallic screech echoed as the elevator doors slid open, revealing more armed personnel emerging like shadows from the depths of the building. Their faces were hidden behind masks, but their intentions were clear—they weren't here to negotiate.
Elias's mind raced. There was no plan B. The Watch had given him one path, and it was now or never.
"Mila, do you trust me?" Elias asked, his voice tight with urgency.
She glanced at him, her expression unreadable for a moment, then nodded, her eyes steely with determination. "Always."
Without wasting another moment, Elias shoved the file deeper into his jacket and took a step back, positioning himself between Mila and the oncoming soldiers. The Watch pulsed violently, its blue glow brightening to a blinding intensity as it hummed with power.
10 seconds.
The guards raised their guns, their movements synchronized, trained for moments like this. But Elias didn't flinch. His hand moved instinctively to his pocket, pulling out a small, dark object. A knife, but not just any knife—a weapon forged with the same mysterious power as the Watch.
The Watch's glow intensified, matching the knife's aura, and for a fleeting moment, Elias felt a surge of strength. A sense of invincibility.
3 seconds.
Without warning, Elias lunged forward, the knife flashing in the dim light of the lobby. He ducked beneath the barrel of one soldier's gun, swinging the blade in a fluid arc, disarming the guard with a precision that left no room for error.
The weapon fell to the ground with a soft clatter, and the soldier staggered back, clutching his wrist in pain.
Before the others could react, Elias was already moving, faster than they could track. The knife danced through the air, slashing across one guard's chest, sending him crumpling to the floor in a heap. Mila wasn't far behind, her fists striking with unrelenting force, disabling two more soldiers with a series of swift, well-placed hits.
The Watch continued to glow brighter, its power coursing through him, guiding his every move. But there was no time to relish the victory. They had to escape, and fast.
Escape Route: Activated.
A sharp beep sounded from the Watch, and a hidden doorway slid open in the far corner of the lobby. It led to a narrow corridor that would take them directly to the back exit. But Elias could see it already—more guards closing in from all sides.
"There's no time!" Mila shouted, grabbing his arm.
Elias didn't hesitate. He pulled her toward the hidden exit, his heart thumping in his chest. They darted down the corridor, the sound of heavy footsteps chasing them from behind. The walls around them seemed to close in with every step, but the escape route wasn't long enough to reach freedom.
1 minute remaining.
The sound of pounding footsteps grew louder, more frantic. The guards were closing in, and the exit was still too far ahead. But just as Elias turned a corner, his body collided with something—someone. A woman, dressed in sleek black attire, standing in the middle of the hall.
Her eyes locked onto Elias's with a predatory gaze. "Not so fast," she said, her voice cold, professional.
Elias knew she wasn't a regular guard. She was something more. A member of Nexacorp's elite security force, a mercenary. He could feel the threat radiating from her, like the calm before a storm.
Mila stiffened, her eyes flicking between the two of them. "Elias... we need to go."
But the woman didn't move, and neither did Elias.
"You think you can just walk out with that file?" she said, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "You don't know what you're messing with, boy."
Elias clenched his fists, the Watch pulsating in his pocket as if urging him to act.
Escape Route: 45 seconds.
The clock was ticking, and the mercenary wasn't backing down. Elias knew they had no choice. They couldn't outrun her—not without facing an even bigger fight.
"I don't need to know everything," Elias replied, his voice low. "I just need to survive."
And with that, he lunged at her, the knife flashing once again.
She was fast, but Elias was faster. The blade struck the side of her arm, narrowly missing her vital points, but enough to draw blood. She hissed in pain, spinning to face him with a deadly glare.
"Fool," she growled.
In that moment, Mila seized the opportunity, rushing forward and delivering a brutal knee to the woman's gut. The mercenary staggered backward, winded, but she quickly regained her stance, reaching for a hidden weapon.
"No!" Elias shouted, grabbing her by the wrist and twisting her arm behind her back.
She grunted in pain, but her lips curled into a wicked smile. "You think you've won? This is just the beginning."
Before Elias could respond, she threw her head back in a vicious move, slamming the back of her skull into his face. He staggered backward, blood dripping from his nose. The pain was instant, but there was no time to recover.
The mercenary stepped back, pulling a sleek pistol from her belt. "You're already dead."
But before she could fire, a loud crash echoed through the corridor, followed by shouts from the approaching guards. She cursed under her breath, clearly not expecting backup so soon.
"Get out of here!" she spat, clearly realizing they were outnumbered.
Elias didn't hesitate. He grabbed Mila's arm and dragged her toward the exit, the sound of gunfire and chaos ringing in his ears as they finally burst through the door into the cold, crisp air outside.
---
11:30 AM
They ran without looking back, their footsteps echoing off the alley walls. The adrenaline surged through their veins, the taste of near-death still fresh in their mouths.
They had made it. For now.
But as Elias glanced at Mila, he knew that the game was far from over. The Watch had just begun to reveal its true power, and the path ahead was darker, more dangerous than anything he had ever imagined.
---