#12: Invisible Prisons

The elevator descended, but the silence between Lara and Dante was more deafening than any alarm or gunshot heard before. She tried to remain calm, typing codes into the holographic device in her hand, while Dante watched her every move carefully, sweat running down his face.

“We’re almost there, right?” he asked, trying to hide the tension.

“It depends on your definition of ‘almost’,” Lara replied without taking her eyes off the projection. “We’re descending to the technical sublevel. From here, I can access the central core and destroy their tracking system.”

“And then what?”

“Then… I’ll improvise.”

Dante shook his head, letting out a nervous laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”

Before Lara could answer, the elevator stopped abruptly, the lights flashing. She immediately returned to the hologram, trying to restart the system, but was interrupted by a metallic sound coming from above.

— They cut the remote control — she said, her eyes wide. — Someone is trying to open the roof hatch.

— Shit! — Dante pulled out his gun and aimed upwards. — Stay behind me.

But before he could act, gas began to be released from the elevator vents. Lara pulled a cloth from her backpack, covering her face, but she knew she didn't have much time.

— Dante, get out of here! — she tried to scream, but her voice came out weak.

He turned to her, his eyes already starting to get heavy. — Not without you…

Lara felt her legs give out, and she fell to the floor. Dante tried to reach her, but his vision went black before he could catch her.

Sublevel Containment – Room 17

Lara woke up with a throbbing pain in her head, her wrists handcuffed to a metal chair. She looked around, recognizing the sterile environment of an interrogation room. The only source of light was a spotlight aimed at her face.

“Great, now this is classic torture,” she muttered, trying to move her wrists to test the handcuffs.

Before she could think of an escape plan, the door opened and a man in uniform entered, followed by two armed guards. He was tall, with perfectly straight gray hair and a cold gaze.

“Lara Oliveira, the prodigy of the Underworld. What an honor.”

“Get straight to the point, uncle,” she replied, with a mocking smile. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“My name doesn’t matter. What I want is simple: you will give us access to your devices and codes.”

“Sure, let me just write down the password for you, okay?” Lara laughed, leaning back in her chair.

The man didn’t smile. He signaled to one of the guards, who pressed a button on the table next to him. A jolt of electricity coursed through Lara’s body, making her scream in pain.

“Is this how you treat guests?” she grumbled, panting.

“I’m just getting started. We have time.”

Another Place in Solaris Tower

Dante woke up in a cell, his hands tied behind his back. He tried to get up, but was pushed back by a guard standing outside.

“Stay put, handsome,” the guard sneered.

Dante growled, but kept his head down. He needed a chance, and yelling at the guards wasn’t going to help. In the meantime, his mind was on Lara.

“Is she okay? Do they go easy on her because she’s a civilian?” He knew the answer was probably “no.”

Suddenly, a familiar sound broke the silence. A small drone came in through the vent, stopping in front of Dante. He recognized the model: it was one of Lara's improvised creations.

“You're too smart to be caught,” he whispered, a smile breaking across his face.

The drone projected a small hologram with a message: “Time is life. Prepare to run.”

Back in the Interrogation Room

Lara was exhausted, but her thoughts were faster than the interrogators' questions. Every word she spoke was carefully calculated to buy time, while her hidden devices worked silently to hack into the Solaris Tower's system.

The interrogator leaned over the table in frustration.

“You don't get it, do you? Project Aurora cannot be stopped. It is the future of humanity!”

“The future?” Lara scoffed. “You call a plan that discards half the world's population the future?”

Before he could answer, the lights flickered and an alarm began to sound.

“What is this?” — he asked, turning to the guards.

Lara smiled. — My ticket out.

The handcuffs unlocked, and before the guards could react, she jumped forward, grabbing a gun from the table.

— I think we’re done here.

Meeting in the Basement.

Lara and Dante found themselves in the technical sublevel, both panting and dirty, but relieved to see that the other was okay.

— You took your time — Dante said, with a sarcastic smile.

— Say that again and I’ll go back there and drop you off.

They laughed, but the moment of lightness was short-lived. Someone was coming, and they needed to get out fast.

As they ran to the next escape point, Dante suddenly stopped and grabbed Lara's arm.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

“I just…” He hesitated, looking at her in a way that disconcerted her. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

Lara blinked in surprise. “Are you okay? Did the gas affect your head?”

Dante laughed, but didn't answer. He just stepped forward and touched her face lightly.

“We'll survive this. Together.”

Lara swallowed hard, but before she could answer, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.

“We'll talk about this later,” she said, with a nervous smile.

“Deal,” Dante replied, drawing his gun.

They continued on, more determined than ever.