#35: Crossfire

Lara had barely slept since Dante was left behind. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived the sound of the fight, the impact of the Executioner's blows, and the last exchange of glances between them. Now, in the hideout, the group was focused on unraveling the files they had obtained, but the tension was palpable.

Shira, focused on the portable terminal, finally broke the silence:

— I found something. They are executing Project Aurora in phases, and we are in the third. This phase involves eliminating targets considered unstable… in other words, everyone we know too much about.

Alma crossed her arms, her expression hard.

— And who are the next targets?

Shira clicked frantically, and then stopped, pale.

— Caio. And… your younger sister.

Caio's blood ran cold. He had not expected his family to be so deeply involved.

— This can't be real. They don't even know I'm here. — He ran his hands through his hair, desperate.

— They know. — Alma replied. — They always know. That's why we need to act before they do.

Lara finally stood up, her voice firm:

— We're going to stop this. The next step is to find these secondary labs and shut down their operations. But we need to split up.

Alma raised an eyebrow.

— You're kidding, right? Splitting up, the group is asking to get caught.

— But if we stay together, we won't be able to cover enough territory. — Lara stared at Alma, determined. — They have the advantage of structure. If we don't act quickly, innocent people will die.

Caio stepped forward, still shaken, but trying to compose himself.

— I'm going to the lab in the Industrial Zone. If they're targeting my family, that's where the data must be.

— And me? — Shira asked, nervous.

— You're coming with me. — Alma replied dryly. — There's another lab on the outskirts of the port. We need your quick fingers on the systems.

Lara hesitated for a moment, but she knew what she had to do.

“I’m going to get Dante.”

Everyone turned to her.

“Are you crazy?” Alma exclaimed. “We don’t even know if he’s alive, Lara.”

“He’s alive,” Lara said, her voice firm. “And if he’s not… I’ll find out.”

Alma huffed, irritated, but didn’t argue.

“If we’re going to do this, we better get moving now.”

In the Heart of Danger

The team split up at dusk. Lara headed for Dante’s last known location, passing through tunnels that were becoming increasingly oppressive. Dante’s absence was a weight on her chest, but also a fire that drove her to continue.

Meanwhile, Caio and Shira infiltrated the Industrial Zone, where the secondary laboratory was hidden behind a seemingly abandoned warehouse. The place was heavily guarded by patrol drones and armed guards.

“How are we going to get through this?” Shira whispered, her eyes fixed on the drones.

Caio adjusted his hood and whispered back:

“We’ll improvise.”

They moved through the shadows, using Shira’s abilities to disable the drones, while Caio dealt with the guards silently. But the tension increased with each step, as if the place was breathing the same fear they felt.

At the same time, Alma found herself at another critical point: the laboratory in the port was protected by even more sophisticated security, with automatic turrets and facial recognition.

“They really went all out here,” she murmured, while Shira, through the communicator, tried to guide her remotely.

“You’re saying this as if it were impossible, but I’ve seen you perform miracles before,” Shira replied.

“Miracles cost a lot.” — Alma countered, activating a signal jamming device to momentarily disrupt the towers.

The Revelation

On the other side of the city, Lara finally reached the place where Dante had faced the Executioner. The scene was devastating: pieces of twisted metal scattered across the ground, walls marked by impacts and trails of dried blood.

She found what appeared to be a trail left by Dante, indicating that he had been injured but had managed to escape. Her heart raced.

“Dante… you’re out there, I know you are,” she murmured, clenching her fist.

The silence was interrupted by a metallic sound coming from the shadows. Lara pulled out her weapon, her eyes searching for the source of the noise.

“Lara?”

The faint voice made her heart leap. Dante stumbled out of the shadows, a deep wound in his shoulder and his face covered in sweat.

“I thought…” he began, before falling to his knees.

Lara ran to him, catching him before he could fall completely.

“I'm here. It's okay,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

Dante tried to smile, but he was visibly exhausted.

“Of course you wouldn't leave me behind.”

She laughed lightly, even with tears in her eyes.

“Never.”

Meanwhile, Shira, Caio, and Alma faced increasing difficulties in their missions. With every step they took, it became clear that Project Aurora was not just a threat to individuals, but to the very essence of what it meant to be human.

And now, with their loved ones in danger, the fight took on an even more personal tone. The resistance was only just beginning.