Lian scrambled into the shaft just as the vault erupted in a massive explosion of violet energy. The deletion reached 100%.
The entire Chronos building groaned, the glass windows on the upper floors shattering simultaneously as the central AI collapsed. The 'Titan of Glass and Steel' was dying.
Lian fell through the darkness of the shaft, landing hard on the gravel of an abandoned subway track. She was bruised, bleeding, and exhausted. But when she reached out with her mind, she felt… nothing.
The silence was deafening. The bond was quiet.
"Kai?" she whispered into the dark. "Kai, answer me!"
For a terrifying minute, there was only the sound of dripping water. Then, a faint, rhythmic pulse flickered in the back of her mind. It was weak, distant, but it was there.
*"I'm… still here, Lian."*
She looked up at the street level. The Chronos tower was a smoking ruin against the night sky. She was a fugitive now. A girl in a worn-out blazer with the world's most dangerous secret in her head.
She began to walk, disappearing into the shadows of the city. Behind her, the violet spark in her eye flickered one last time before turning into a steady, cold flame.
The Forbidden Bond hadn't been broken by the explosion. It had been forged in fire. And now, they weren't just running. They were going to hunt the monsters who tried to tear them apart.
**TO BE CONTINUED...**