~ Sublevel 3 – Emergency Lockdown Mode.~
Red lights flashed. Sirens wailed. Steel doors slammed down across corridors. Ivy's breath quickened as the automated voice rang out:
*"Sublevel 3 lockdown initiated. All personnel: remain in containment zones."*
Ivy yanked the bugging chip from the server port and shoved it into her belt. The room vibrated as a metal door behind her exploded open—Lucian's elite guards, armed and merciless, flooded in.
"Target locked. Orders are to seize—preferably alive."
"Preferably," Ivy muttered, eyes narrowing.
The first guard charged. She grabbed a metal chair and hurled it like a spinning blade—*clang!*—it knocked him out cold. No time to breathe.
Another came from behind. She flipped backward off a desk, landing with a catlike twist, kicking his weapon from his hand midair, and jabbing a hidden blade into his shoulder. He dropped, screaming.
Three more circled her. Ivy darted toward the wall, ran three steps up and flipped over them. One turned—too late—her fist collided with his throat. He choked and crumpled.
The other two flanked her she ducked
one's punch, grabbing his arm and using his momentum to spin him into the other. A flash grenade from her boot hit the floor—*boom!*—a blinding flash stunned them.
Smoke, chaos, shouting.
She moved like smoke—liquid, fast, brutal. Her fists struck with surgical precision. Her body twisted between blows like she was dancing with violence itself.
"Override the lockdown!" someone yelled in panic.
In the security room above, Lucian stared at the screen, fingers steepled.
"She's not just a hacker…" he said coldly.
Victor muttered, "She's something else."
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "She's a storm."
Back below, Ivy sprinted through the chaos. One last guard blocked her path. Big. Armored. Deadly.
She exhaled. "Let's dance."
He swung with brute force. She slid under the blow, slammed her elbow into his spine, rolled forward, and stabbed his leg with a shock dart. He convulsed, fell.
Ivy grabbed a vent lever, yanked it down, and slipped into the duct system—vanishing just as backup arrived
~ sublevel 3 – Ventilation Ducts~
Ivy's breath came in sharp bursts as she crawled through the narrow duct, heat radiating off the metal. Her gloves gripped each edge silently. Behind her, the faint echo of boots clanged—guards were checking the shafts.
*"Scan the vents! She's in there!"*
The building rumbled as security rerouted drones into the ventilation system. Ivy smirked, pulled a small EMP disc from her belt, activated it, and stuck it behind her. Ten seconds later—*click...BOOM*—all drone signals died.
*Interior – Maintenance Tunnel Exit*
She dropped silently from the duct into a dark, damp maintenance room. The moment her boots hit the ground, she was moving—straight toward the backup emergency exit.
A keypad blocked her path. She knelt, cracked her knuckles, and quickly connected a mini-hack stick from her glove.
*"Bypass firewall. Override. Inject false credentials. Access granted."*
*The door slid open with a hiss.*
But as she stepped out into the cool night air, floodlights snapped on—three security drones hovered above. Ivy swore, rolled behind a utility crate as one fired a stun shot.
She tossed a smoke grenade high into the air—*hisssss*—a dense gray fog swallowed the field.
Ivy bolted through the smoke, hood pulled low, sprinting past crates and dumpsters. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
A motorcycle sat parked in the shadows—her backup ride, rigged earlier.
*"Come on…"* she whispered, kicking the ignition. The engine roared to life.
Behind her, shouts rose as drones searched the fog.
She revved, then sped off, tires screeching against the pavement, disappearing into the maze of night alleys and neon-lit street
~ Reign Dynamics, Control Room – Moments After the Escape~
The room was tense. Alarms still blinked red across multiple monitors. Guards stood at attention, faces pale. Victor stood by the glass wall, hands behind his back, waiting.
Lucian entered slowly, his expression unreadable. His black tailored coat trailed behind him, and his polished shoes clicked ominously on the floor. He said nothing at first. Only his sharp eyes scanned the replay footage: Ivy disappearing into smoke… the hacked vent system… the motorcycle escape.
Finally, he broke the silence.
*"She got away."*
A statement. Not a question. Not a surprise.
Victor cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. She bypassed the system. Disabled the drones. Slipped past Level 3 lockdown."
Lucian didn't move, but the tension in his jaw was clear. "And no one thought to anticipate a silent hijack of the auxiliary vent?"
"No, sir," Victor said. "But we're tracing the ride. We'll find her."
Lucian turned to face the glass again, watching the city skyline. The reflection of fire-red warning lights danced across his sharp features.
Then he smirked.
*"A thief with timing… technique… and flair."*
He looked over his shoulder.
*"Victor, I want everything we have on her. I want to know what she drinks, who she avoids, what scent she wears. And I want her watched."*
Victor gave a nod. "And if we find her?"
Lucian's smirk faded into something darker.
*"We won't touch her yet. I want to see just how deep her claws plan to sink. The rabbit thinks she's running…"*
He turned back toward the monitors.
*"…but she's already in the lion's den"