#11: Escape in the Dark

The alarm echoed through the halls of Solaris Tower like a battle cry, a constant reminder that time was against them. Lara and Dante ran, their footsteps echoing on the metal floor as red lights flashed frantically, casting shadows that danced on the walls.

“That was too fast!” Dante shouted, looking back as the sound of military boots approached. “They’ll corner us if we don’t get out of here soon!”

“Relax, I have a plan… kind of improvised, but a plan,” Lara replied, her breath quickening.

“Kind of improvised?” Dante raised an eyebrow, but didn’t have time to question anything further.

Suddenly, three drones emerged from a side passage, their lenses glowing blue as they swiveled to focus on the intruders.

“Get down!” — Lara shouted, pulling Dante behind a pillar as the drones fired precision lasers.

She pulled a device from her pocket and typed quickly, her expression focused. The drones advanced, but before they could fire again, they began to spark and fell to the ground, inert.

— Hacking drones in motion… you really are full of surprises — Dante commented, standing up carefully.

— Surprises are my specialty. Now, move those legs!

The two of them moved forward, but the tension only increased. The surveillance system seemed to be one step ahead, with metal barriers descending to block the corridors and security forces appearing from all directions.

— They're closing the passage — Dante observed, drawing his weapon.

— Don't tell me! — Lara retorted, as she activated another device that temporarily disabled the nearby cameras.

They reached a crossroads. To the right, more security guards were approaching; To the left, a window looked out over the abyss of the city beyond. Lara glanced at Dante with a nervous smile.

“Do you trust me?”

“I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Before he could argue, Lara grabbed his hand and ran toward the window. With a well-aimed kick, she shattered the reinforced glass, the sound of the shards fading into the night.

“This is crazy!” Dante shouted, but kept going when he saw that the only alternative was to face the armed guards.

Lara activated a retractable rope attached to her belt and jumped, pulling Dante with her. They slid down the side of the tower, the wind roaring around them as lights flashed from the city below.

When they reached a maintenance platform on the lower level, Lara barely had time to catch her breath before she heard the sound of rotors. A larger drone, equipped with automatic weapons, was flying overhead.

— This is going to be a lot of work… — Lara muttered, pulling out a small wrist gun.

— I'll take care of this. You find a way to get us out of here — Dante said, advancing with his gun in hand.

The drone fired, the bullets bouncing off the surrounding metal. Dante moved quickly, using the obstacles as cover while aiming for the machine's vulnerable points. Lara, in turn, accessed her device and began to look for an escape route.

— Come on, come on… where's the exit? — she muttered, her fingers flying over the projected hologram.

Dante managed to hit one of the drone's propellers, which began to lose altitude, but still fired wildly. He threw himself to the ground to avoid one last attack before the drone finally exploded, illuminating the platform with a flash.

— Impressive, I'm not going to lie — Lara said, helping him to his feet.

— Thanks. Now, what's the plan?

— That cargo elevator over there. But we have to hurry before the system locks everything down.

The two of them ran towards the elevator, Lara typing in a code to activate it. As the doors began to close, gunshots echoed down the hallway behind them. Elite security guards appeared, their weapons glowing with laser sights.

“Hold on!” Dante shouted, raising his gun and firing to provide cover as the doors closed.

Inside the elevator, the two of them stood in silence for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Lara looked at Dante, a mix of adrenaline and relief in her eyes.

“That was intense…” she murmured.

“And it’s not even over yet,” he replied, as the elevator slowly descended to the basement.

They knew the battle was far from over. What awaited them below could be even more dangerous, but for the first time, Lara felt that she was not alone in this fight.

And, as impossible as it seemed, there was something comforting about Dante’s presence at her side.