Liam and his companion ran through the twisted alleys of the Grid, their hurried footsteps barely audible against the faint hum of the world around them. The Dread Swarm was still searching, scanning for any trace of their presence. They had barely managed to escape, but Liam knew they weren’t out of danger yet.
As they ducked into an abandoned building, Liam slumped against a wall, panting. His companion—who he now knew as Kiera—was scanning the area with her wrist device. She seemed tense, her body coiled like a spring, ready to react at a moment’s notice.
“I think we lost them for now,” she murmured, her voice laced with relief.
Liam exhaled sharply, trying to still his racing heart. “That was way too close.”
Kiera turned to face him, and for the first time, he noticed just how close they were. Her face, sharp and determined, was inches from his. The glow of her wrist device cast a faint blue shimmer across her skin, illuminating her high cheekbones and piercing eyes.
“You can’t just go picking things up,” she said, her tone firm but not unkind. “You have no idea what you just did.”
Liam swallowed, caught between frustration and fascination. “I didn’t exactly plan on grabbing some super-important relic and summoning an army of monsters.”
Kiera narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, well, intent doesn’t change the fact that we’re now their number one priority.”
Liam let out a nervous chuckle. “Great. So, what’s next? More running?”
Her lips curled into a smirk. “Something like that.”
For a moment, the tension between them shifted. The danger was still real, still looming, but there was something electric in the air between them—something neither of them could ignore.
Kiera shifted slightly, brushing against Liam as she moved toward the doorway to peek outside. The light touch sent a ripple through him, and he found himself hyper-aware of every movement she made.
She turned back to him, her expression unreadable. “We need to move soon, but… are you okay?”
Liam hesitated. The truth was, he wasn’t. His entire world had been upended, he was on the run from some terrifying digital overlord, and now he was standing in a strange, dimly lit room with a woman who seemed as dangerous as she was captivating.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Everything is happening so fast. But I think as long as we’re not dead yet, we keep going.”
Kiera’s smirk returned, softer this time. “Not bad, Blake. Maybe you’re not as helpless as I thought.”
Liam raised an eyebrow. “Wait—you thought I was helpless?”
Kiera shrugged, her tone teasing. “Let’s just say… I wasn’t expecting you to keep up.”
Liam chuckled, shaking his head. “Good to know I’ve exceeded expectations.”
Their moment was short-lived. A sudden distant noise—the mechanical whirring of scanning drones—reminded them that the Dread Swarm wasn’t far behind. Kiera’s smirk faded, and she reached for Liam’s hand without hesitation.
“Come on,” she said, leading him out the back of the building. “We don’t have time to flirt.”
Liam grinned despite himself. “Was that flirting?”
She shot him a look. “Keep up, Blake.”
And with that, they vanished into the shadows once more, their bond solidifying in the midst of chaos.