#26: The Last Breath

Tension was in the air. Guns were pointed at them, but that wasn't the only thing that paralyzed them. It was the certainty that they were about to make the biggest choice of their lives. Lara felt a pressure in her chest, as if she were running out of air. Their future—or what was left of it—depended on how they would react now. Dante remained silent, his eyes calculating each enemy move, as if he had played this game many times before.

“Do you think you'll stop us?” Dante said in a calm but tense voice. He was just inches away from Lara, her body almost glued to his, as if his touch was the only thing that could keep her there, with him.

The enemy team leader smiled, a cruel and empty smile.

“There's no more hiding place, Dante. It's all over. Your rebellious hacker…” He made a vague gesture with his hand to Lara. “And you. End of the line.

Lara took a deep breath. She knew the exit seemed impossible, but her mind was racing, searching for a way to escape. Their plan had failed, but it wasn't over yet. If they had a chance to act, it would be now.

“Let's see if you're right, then,” she said, her voice firm, challenging the leader.

In a quick and unexpected movement, Lara pulled out the hidden device she had in her hand. An intense light flashed in the air, followed by a shrill sound. A violent push made her fall to the ground, but at the same time, Dante jumped towards the leader, pushing him aside with the strength of a wild animal. Chaos took over the scene.

The guns fired, but Dante was already in the middle of the action. He had prepared for this, and now there was no more time to hesitate. A burst of movement, and the leader was lying on the ground, dizzy, while Lara was already standing up, her eyes shining with adrenaline.

“Let's go!” — Dante shouted, and without looking back, they began to run, with the enemies behind them, faster and more furious with each step. But Lara and Dante didn't look to the side, just focused on the only thing that still mattered: escape.

The air seemed thicker as they ran, and the sound of gunshots echoed throughout the place. Lara could smell the gunpowder and the weight of tension, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not even when the blood in her body seemed to beat faster. Dante was ahead, leading the way, but he also knew they were in a race against time.

“They're catching up to us!” Lara shouted, but Dante didn't slow down.

He turned to her, his eyes full of determination.

“It doesn't matter,” he replied. “We're not stopping now.”

The sound of enemy footsteps was getting closer, but Lara and Dante were in the final stretch. They knew they were about to do something risky. Riskier than anything they had ever done before.

They entered an alley, and soon realized they had been surrounded. The streets were empty except for them and the enemies who were approaching faster. There was no way out. The alley was closed.

Lara felt her heart race. Her breathing was ragged, and the enemies were getting closer by the second. The leader of the operation was still alive and angry.

Dante turned to Lara, his eyes fixed on her, the intensity of the situation clear on his face.

“Shall we fight, or shall we run a little further?”

Lara didn't think. She was far from hesitating, but she also knew that, once again, her life depended on the choices she would make at that moment.

“I won't run anymore,” she replied, her voice hoarse with tension.

Dante said nothing, just stared ahead. And when the leader and his men finally reached the end of the alley, he held out his hand to Lara, his gaze determined as never before. There was no turning back. They had passed the point of no return.

“It’s going to take more than that to take us down,” Dante shouted, positioning himself in front of Lara, who was now also ready for anything.

The leader laughed, a bitter laugh full of contempt.

“You have no idea what’s going on here, Dante. But it doesn’t matter. The end has already come for you.”

The enemies began to advance, but Dante and Lara were together once again. And as the footsteps of their pursuers echoed through the alley, something changed. The atmosphere was charged with anger and adrenaline. It wasn’t just a matter of survival anymore. It was a battle for something bigger, something that involved more than just the mission. Furthermore, it was the fight for freedom itself.

The tension grew, and the fight that followed would be brutal, but at that moment, Lara was thinking of nothing else. Only Dante and what they needed to do to avoid being defeated.