Rust and condensation coated the inside of the secondary circulation line. Elias dragged himself through it on his elbows and knees, taking each inch as if the duct charged him for it.
His ribs punished every pull. The binder around his chest kept the breaks from shifting too far, but pressure had its own kind of pain. It pressed him inward until breathing became a thing he had to measure.
Kikaru crawled behind his boots.
She made almost no sound. The glow from her system prompt still caught on the damp metal and painted everything with sick yellow light.
[SYSTEM ALERT. COMBAT DIRECTIVE.] Time remaining 14:12. Task is to defeat one shard user. Penalty pending is one random stat halved permanently.
Fourteen minutes remained before the system damaged her for good.
Elias flattened his palm against the duct floor. "You halt here and keep your breathing quiet."
