Rain pounded the city as Mira, Draven, and Lira darted through back alleys, hearts thundering with every step. Lira led them through a maze of forgotten service tunnels beneath Novaris, her memory of the city's digital and physical infrastructure their only guide.
They finally emerged in a cramped maintenance room, breathless. Lira slammed the door and activated a portable signal jammer. "We're off their grid—for now," she said, wiping rain from her brow. "But they know we're coming."
Mira glanced at the data chip, still clutched in Lira's hand. "What did you see? Before the alarms hit?"
Lira connected her tablet to an offline battery pack and pulled up a fragment of decrypted code. "It's a blueprint—a map of the Veil's network. And there's something else. A name: Director Veylan."
Draven's eyes narrowed at the mention. "Veylan is a ghost. No one's ever seen him, but he runs everything from the shadows. If he's involved, this is bigger than we thought."
Mira's mind raced. She remembered her father's warnings about invisible hands pulling Novaris's strings. "We need to find Veylan. He's the key to the disappearances—and the Shadow Protocol."
Lira hesitated, her usual confidence flickering. "There's more. The code references a location: the Helix Spire. It's Veil territory, guarded by their best. If we go in, we may not come out."
Draven stepped forward, his voice steely. "We don't have a choice. If the Protocol goes live, no one in this city is safe—not even us."
A heavy silence settled over the group. Each was haunted by their past—Mira's missing father, Draven's lost sister, Lira's guilt over her past hack. But in that moment, their resolve hardened. Together, they would face the Veil.
Mira looked at her companions, determination blazing in her eyes. "Then we go to the Helix Spire. Tonight."
Outside, the city's lights flickered as if in warning. Deep in the shadows, Director Veylan watched their every move, his plans already shifting to counter the threat he'd long anticipated.