Sophia Sullivan lifted the burly man with one hand.
She stuffed him into a dumpster.
The lid snapped shut.
A heavy rock secured it.
She dusted her palms.
Every movement precise and efficient.
"Consider the consequences before acting."
Her quiet voice carried razor-sharp clarity.
The warning was meant for Liam Winston and Chloe Evans hiding in the shadows.
Too bad they didn't grasp the message.
Liam stood frozen.
Finally realizing it wasn't his men's incompetence—it was Sophia's overwhelming skill.
But retreat wasn't an option now.
They had to press forward.
Sophia vanished into the abandoned warehouse.
Chloe tugged Liam's sleeve.
"Let's go back, Liam. This place is terrifying. And Sophia's gone."
Liam scanned their surroundings with a frown.
"Stay calm. She's nearby."
He couldn't fathom how they'd lost her.
As he turned, the metallic click of a lock echoed behind them.
Liam whirled around.
The warehouse's steel door had been secured from outside.
He slammed his shoulder against it.
The door didn't budge.
Chloe panicked, pounding on the metal.
"Help! Is anyone there?"
Sophia's lazy drawl drifted through.
"Oops. Locked it. Hope no one's inside?"
Liam punched the door.
"Sophia, you're despicable!"
Pain shot through his broken finger, beading sweat on his forehead.
Another one of her traps.
Sophia smirked.
Despicable for defending herself?
Amateurs shouldn't play this game.
"Guess it's empty. I'll leave before the trash starts clinging."
She ignored their pleas and walked away.
Sophia navigated through narrow alleys.
Descending into the basement's deepest storage.
Her boot tapped the concrete floor.
A hidden mechanism whirred, revealing a console.
Fingerprint authenticated.
The massive door groaned open.
Dust swirled in the stale air.
She groped for the light switch.
Fluorescents flickered to life.
Three towering monitors flanked a central server.
A dust-covered terminal dominated the space.
"Why did Master choose A-City for the mainframe?"
Sophia sighed.
The system failed to boot.
Years of disuse had taken their toll.
She retrieved a toolkit from the corner.
Expert fingers dismantled components.
Repairing damaged circuits.
Her focus never wavered.
A single beep.
Machines hummed to life.
Screens illuminated three walls.
A holographic girl materialized—pink twin tails bouncing.
Adorably cartoonish.
The pink glow cast eerie shadows across Sophia's face.
The projection grinned.
"Welcome back. Initiate Nexus reboot?"
An interface appeared.
Sophia tapped confirmation without hesitation.
Entered credentials.
Multi-layered authentication.
Finally typed her alias—Aurora!
The mainframe restarted.
Darkness swallowed the warehouse.
Sophia stood motionless.
One second of operation after hours of repairs?
A power surge from diagnostics.
Moonlight streamed through the basement window.
She needed a partner for this.
Meanwhile, in Sicily, Italy.
A scar-faced man in a tailored suit jerked upright.
The grayed-out Nexus interface had flickered.
Just for an instant.
He slammed both palms on his desk.
"The Nexus is active!"
His glare burned into the screen.
That glow meant one thing—she lived.
Coordinates now showed overseas.
He bellowed at his subordinates.
"She's alive! Find her! I want her broken when you drag her back!"