⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

"𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎"

The map lay sprawled across the ancient oak table-the Land of Dawn. Lucy, her eyes ablaze, traced the contours-the jagged peaks, the winding rivers, and forests. Each line whispered of danger, hidden paths, and treacherous terrain.

"Our goal," Lucy said, her voice a blade honed by vengeance, "is to collect four cyberwear chips. But these aren't ordinary chips-they contain information that can pinpoint their main base. Once we retrieve them, we'll deliver this crucial intel to the Moniyan Empire. It's the key to putting an end to their evil deeds."

The room held its breath-the predator and the girl, bound by purpose. Lucy's scars-the roadmap of her past-etched her resolve. She had once danced with death, but now she waltzed with redemption.

"The chips," Lucy continued, her finger tracing the map's edge, "are scattered across the forsaken lands-their guardians ruthless, their defenses insidious. We'll infiltrate their stronghold, evade their sentinels, and retrieve what they guard so fiercely."

I nodded-the weight of fallen souls pressing upon my shoulders. The Moniyan Empire-the last bastion against malevolence, its walls fortified.

The room's shadows stirred-the ghosts of combatants whispering secrets. Lucy extended her hand-a bridge across our shared abyss. Redemption or betrayal? The map-their secrets-beckoned.

And so, we stepped into the abyss-the map cradled.

"The Barren Lands," Lucy whispered, her finger tracing the map's faded ink. The room, dimly lit by a single lantern, seemed to hold its breath-the predator and the girl, their fates entwined.

The Barren Lands-the name itself carried a weight. It was a land of despair, once prosperous but now forsaken. The birth of Necrokeep had stolen its vitality, leaving behind only echoes of lost glory.

"Here," Lucy said, her eyes aflame with purpose. "This desolate expanse holds their secrets-the cyberwear chips-their guardians hide them well, but we will find them."

I nodded-the map, our guide. The Moniyan Empire awaited-their beacon of hope against malevolence.

And so, we stepped into the abyss-the predator and the girl. The Barren Lands-their secrets, their sins-awaited.

The Facility of Shadows

The facility loomed-a labyrinth of pipes and secrets. Its walls whispered of malevolence, its guards clad in armor, their rifles heavy with intent. Lucy, her eyes aflame, stepped forward-the predator in her element.

"You look tasty~" she purred, her voice a siren's call. The guard, unsuspecting, leaned closer. But Lucy's seduction was a deception. Her roundhouse kick shattered bone, and Leonard-the silent accomplice-joined the fray.

"Aha!" Leonard grinned, his boot finding its mark. The guard crumpled, his breaths ragged. Lucy scoffed, wiping blood from her knuckles.

"You didn't even help a bit," she chided Leonard. "If it weren't for me, you'd be a dead meat by now."

Leonard clutched the gun-a cold weight in his unsteady hands. Lucy's eyes bore into his soul, her patience thin as a razor's edge.

'Go,' she commanded, her voice a whip. 'Retrieve the chips-their secrets, their salvation. And don't you dare fail.'

Leonard stammered, his horror etched across sweat-soaked skin. 'Please, please! I'll do everything. I'll cook for you day and night, just-'

Before he could beg further, Lucy's boot connected with his chest. The door slammed shut, sealing his fate. Leonard's wail out of desperation.

'DOOOOOOONT,' he screamed, his voice swallowed by darkness.

They communicate through an earpiece(it's like a mini earbud. You connect it to a device, like a phone or a walkie-talkie. Then, someone on the other end can talk to you, and you hear their voice through the earpiece. It's perfect for sneaky missions or undercover work.")

After few minutes

"How's the weather over there? Feeling a little cozy?" 😄  "Shut up." 🙄

Laughs. "It's my first time hearing you curse for real."

"I'm getting baked here-damn, it's so hot." 

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. This is a geothermal facility. They harness the heat from the abyss as a source of energy."

The air thickened-their breaths mingling with the infernal heat. The abyss-the very heart of the facility-pulsed beneath their feet. Leonard wiped sweat from his brow, melting like wax.

"Geothermal," he muttered. Lucy's laughter echoed-a siren's call in the furnace.

Then suddenly he hear a shout behind him. "Hey! What are you doing here? State your business or I'll blow your head off!"

"The f*ck why are you just standing there?! Run!"

Because of him getting caught the alarm went off: Attention this is not a test, this is a emergency broadcast, announcing a full lockdown. All D-class are send to guard all exit. Wait until the threat is neutralise.

"FuCK THEY ARE ON OUR TAIL! JUST GET THE CYBERWEAR CHIP AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!!!"

Leonard run's away to the guard's while they continue chasing him, then he was stopped by two D-class, he was able to eliminate one of them but he was almost killed by the inmate luckily lucy arrived in time shooting him dead.

Leonard's breaths came in ragged gasps, his vision blurred from the fight. The D-class guard lay motionless at his feet, blood pooling around him. Leonard's knuckles were raw, his body battered. But he had to keep moving.

Lucy knelt beside him, her gun still smoking. Her eyes held a mix of concern and determination. "You okay?" she asked, her voice steady.

"Yeah," Leonard rasped, pushing himself up. "Thanks for saving me."

Lucy nodded, scanning their surroundings. The facility was in chaos-the emergency broadcast still blaring, guards converging on their position. The cyberwear chip was their only hope, and they couldn't afford to lose it now.

But then, the ground trembled. Leonard's gaze shot upward. "What the hell-"

A massive figure loomed-a mecha robot, its cyberware suit gleaming. It stood eight feet tall, its movements fluid, deadly. Leonard's mind raced. They hadn't anticipated this. The organization had upgraded their defenses.

"Lucy!" he shouted, but she was already moving. She stepped in front of him, her own cyber-enhanced arm raised. The mecha charged, its metal fists swinging.

Lucy blocked the blows, her strength augmented. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed. Leonard scrambled to his feet, pain forgotten. He had to help her.

Lucy's breaths came in rough, her cyberware arm trembling from the relentless assault. The mecha loomed over her, its metal frame unyielding. She had fought countless battles, but this-this was different. She was no match.

"Leonard!" she gasped, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead. "Listen carefully! You need to find the control panel. Shut down the entire system. Only then can we defeat this thing!"

Leonard nodded, his eyes wide. He had seen the mecha's power-the way it tore through steel doors, its weapons relentless. But Lucy was right. There had to be a way to stop it.

"Where?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Central core," Lucy replied, her gaze unwavering. "It's deep within the facility. You'll encounter traps, guards, but you have to reach it. The mecha's control is there."

Leonard clenched his fists. "And you?"

"I'll hold it off," Lucy said, her cyber-enhanced arm sparking. "To buy you some time. Go, Leonard. Save us all."

He hesitated, torn between duty and fear. But Lucy pushed him, her eyes fierce. "NOW!"

Leonard sprinted down the corridor, adrenaline fueling his steps. The mecha pursued, its metal feet thundering. He dodged laser fire, leaped over fallen guards. The facility was a maze, but he had to find the central core.

As he descended deeper, the air grew colder, the walls closing in. Leonard's mind raced. It weighed on him, but he couldn't fail. The Moniyan Empire depended on him.

Lucy's heart raced, adrenaline surging as she darted through the facility's tunnels. The mecha was relentless, its metal frame closing in. She had to buy Leonard time in order to reach the central core.

The blaster fire erupted, searing the air. Lucy leaped, her cyber-enhanced limbs propelling her upward. She clung to a narrow pipe, her fingers slipping on the slick metal. The tunnel below beckoned-a dark, watery escape.

Everything fades black...
and right next thing she understands, Lucy is hurling down the pipe into darkness. The “Shark mecha”- something she had never expected now transformed. Its foot crashed into the pipe jerking Lucy off balance and water swept her away and out the tunnel.

Agony blossomed-breaks her ribs, the blood gushing from her mouth in torrents. There was no letting go for Lucy. The mecha arrived and its eyes were glinting with hate. “Overheat” – a technique that she came to learn is signature to him.

Laughter, “There is no way I am going to be killed by this piece of junk!” She fights back- But the struggle is futile. The mecha launches a powerful strike known as “Ultimatum” directly toward her bosom.

Terminology “Ultimatum” Provides its master extraordinary ability to project unimaginable quantities of energy at one particular target. This energy wave penetrates reality and attacks the target’s cerebral nerves. While the energy transmitted through those nerves, it cuts off the network of fibers and leaves the target incapacitated with their mind crushed into tiny little pieces. This overwhelming catastrophe changing the flow of events forever.

The air crackled with raw energy as the Ultimatum struck its target. Lucy's chest absorbed the impact, a searing surge of power coursing through her veins. Her breath hitched, and for a moment, the world blurred-a kaleidoscope of pain and brilliance.

The energy, incomprehensible in its intensity, sought out the neural pathways within her brain. It was as if the very fabric of reality strained against its own limits. Lucy's consciousness wavered, teetering on the precipice.

Her thoughts fractured. Memories-of battles fought, comrades lost-flashed before her eyes. The ultimatum was a choice, a finality. To sever those delicate connections-to break the bonds that held her mind together-was to embrace oblivion.

The tension hung heavy in the air-the clash of metal, the crackle of energy. Lucy faced the mecha, her cyberware arm sparking, defiance etched into her every fiber. The machine towered over her, its eyes glowing with malevolence.

"I have some fun after all," the mecha taunted, its voice a metallic rasp. Lucy's response was swift, unyielding.

"Like I give a shit," she retorted, her  heart raced, but fear was a foreign concept. She had danced with death too many times to flinch now.

The mecha's arms shifted, transforming. A rocket blaster materialized, its barrel aimed at its own head. Lucy's eyes widened. "Oh well... I guess that settles it." And then, with a deafening blast, the mecha fell. Its massive form crumpled, the circuits sputtering.

"It's all over," he whispered, his voice raw. Lucy's gaze shifted, that's when she noticed it-a timer, embedded within the mecha's chest. Dread settled in Leonard's chest. Lucy's eyes widened in realization. The shut-down button-the seemingly innocuous solution-was a deception. It wasn't meant to halt the mecha.

"Leonard," she gasped, her voice urgent. "It's not a shut-down-it's a self-destruction mode!"

He turned to her, lucy pointed at the mecha's remains. "Look," she said, her finger trembling. "The timer-it's counting down to obliteration."

Leonard's expression shifted from relief to horror. "We need to get out of here," she urged. "Now. Before it engulfs us all."

They ran, but they came across a lady with her 5 children, they we're D-class subjugated with inhumane experience.

"Please! Don't leave us!"

"Let's go Leonard we do not have much time!"

"But how about them?"

"Listen here-sometimes survival demands hard choices. We can't save everyone, but we can save ourselves. Our mission is greater than any one life."

And so, they vanished into the shadows, their footsteps echoing their desperate resolve. The mother's cries lingered, haunting and desperate, as Lucy and Leonard sprinted toward the exit. The moon hung low, casting elongated shadows on the cold concrete floor.

Lucy's mind raced, torn between duty and compassion. The Moniyan Empire's fate rested on their shoulders, yet the faces of the D-class children-their hollow eyes, their frail bodies-clung to her consciousness. She had seen too much suffering, too many lives extinguished in this forsaken place.

Leonard stumbled beside her, his breaths ragged. His gaze flickered back to the mother and her children, then forward to the exit sign. The countdown-the relentless march toward oblivion-was etched into his mind. He knew the stakes, the weight of their choices.

"Lucy," Leonard whispered, his voice barely audible over the alarms. "We can't leave them."

She didn't slow down, didn't look back. Her cyberware arm throbbed, a constant reminder of battles fought and sacrifices made. "We've come too far," she replied, her tone unyielding. "We can't afford sentimentality now."

The mother's voice echoed through the corridor, desperate and pleading. Lucy clenched her jaw, unshaken.

As they burst into the moonlit night, Lucy glimpsed the stars-distant pinpricks of hope in a world gone mad. She whispered a silent prayer for the D-class family, for all those left behind. Their sacrifice would forever haunt her, but survival was their only currency now.

And with that, they slipped away into mere whispers, their fight or flight response evident even in their fading out footfalls - A decision taken while confronting the void.

Leonard and Lucy ran away from the dilapidated building labored breathing and wildly beating hearts. All they could hear was the tick-tock of time, the inescapable approach of doom. They lived through it, but the burden of what they had done was crushing.

And it came-the bang. A natural disaster of some sort took place, that obliterated everything they had ever known. Leonard covered his head as the impact sent him flying backward.

Then he caught sight of it--a chip in the remnants, shining and clean. It had been blasted u a during the attack, its trajectory vertical, and lay now in repose, simple yet moving. Leonard touched it, his hands quaking.

"Why?" He asked staring at the silicon chip that could be intended for cybernetics. "What was the purpose of the mecha carrying this?"

Lucy’s emotions were apparent in her voice when she revealed the reality, which even the reverberation of the sparse words could not destroy. In the background, a flickering candle made the walls appear to have ghosts of shadows, elongated and moving as if they were memories.

"Leonard," she said, looking down at the cracked ground, "there are things within the blood and bones of our world. Things that reason does not grasp, that even the building blocks of this world do not allow."

Her fingers traced the edges of the metallic chip-their fragile hope-nestled in Leonard's palm. It was cold, unforgiving, a relic of a past life. Lucy's past life.

"The mecha," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "was once human."

It dawned on Leonard quickly as her statement hit him. The mecha-they were always at war with-could do more than kill. It was this sad creation of men and machines which comes out of a world stricken by despair and arrogance.

“Just think,” Lucy resumed, her determination getting stronger, “of one soldier, the epitome of warfare, the very picture of a blood-crazed soldier. One could also call it a case of medical malpractice. Bone went under the knife, metal was put inside the body and the mind waged war. The mecha was a tortured vessel, indulging in violence like a drug right from childhood.”

She drew back, breathing heavily. “And this chip,” she indicated the small piece, “is what reveals everything. It unlocks the mystery of the creation and the destruction of the mecha”.

His hand shivering around the chip, Leonard fought back tears. Lucy’s sacrifice, the D-class family, the Moniyan Empire; they were all interlaced patterns of pain and hope.

“But,” Lucy’s voice turned a shade harsh, “I cannot do that. All my plans aimed at bringing down the organization, the very structure that brought about the mecha, will fall apart the moment this truth comes out. Leonard, do not be reckless. For those souls who are no more and for the very remnants of humanity that we always knew."

And in that dim room, amidst the shadows and the silence, Leonard swore that he would not let Lucy's sacrifice be in vain. And hence the chip – their last hope – was to stay concealed, a precarious secret that could decide the fate of many worlds.

⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆

Authors note: I would appreciate it if you guys vote for this chapter, how was it? What changes or editing I need to do to improve the narrative? Anyways thank you for reading this chapter I'm glad you guys like it! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧