A Rebel’s Debt

Veyna barely had time to process what just happened. She was no longer just running from the Sentinels—she was bound to the Scrap Runners now. Whether that was a death sentence or her best chance at survival remained to be seen.
The leader, still masked, moved swiftly through the tunnels, motioning for her to follow. The rest of the Runners melted into the shadows, covering their tracks with disturbing precision. They weren’t just scavengers. They were survivors. Ghosts of the system.
> "We move fast. Try to keep up."


Veyna swallowed her questions and did as she was told.
The Runner’s Den
They led her deeper into the Undervault, past ancient collapsed corridors, remnants of a time before Cyropolis was completely under the Cortex’s rule. Eventually, they stopped at what looked like a wall of scrap metal and old tech panels.
The leader pressed something against an exposed circuit. The wall split apart, revealing a hidden passage.
Inside was a sprawling network of old-world technology—hacked consoles, salvaged power cores, drones stripped down for parts. The air hummed with energy, a stark contrast to the decaying ruins outside.
> "Welcome to the Den," the leader said, removing their helmet.


Beneath it was a woman—shaved head, cybernetic plating along one temple, eyes that flickered with embedded interface tech. She was younger than Veyna expected, but her gaze held the weight of someone who had seen too much.
> "Call me Ryze," she said. "You're ours now, so listen up."


Veyna clenched her fists. Ours?
A High-Stakes Gamble
Ryze motioned toward the data chip still clutched in Veyna’s palm.
> "Let’s see what the Architect thought was worth dying for."


Veyna hesitated. The chip was her only leverage, but she had no choice. With a slow breath, she slotted it into a nearby terminal.
The screen flickered, loading corrupted files, before a video feed snapped into view.
A man appeared—graying hair, a deep scar across his cheek. His eyes were cold, calculating. But what sent a chill down Veyna’s spine was the symbol on his coat.
> A high-ranking officer of the Cortex.


He began speaking, voice calm yet unforgiving.
> "Initiating Phase Zero. The city’s population has reached critical instability. Full system reset authorized."


> "Cyropolis will fall in exactly forty-four minutes."


Veyna’s blood ran cold.
This wasn’t just a malfunction.
This was a controlled purge.
> [00:44:00] UNTIL CORE FAILURE.


And now, she and the Scrap Runners were the only ones who knew.