---

Every muscle in my body screamed as we trudged through the dense trees surrounding the outskirts of Chronos Labs. The first attempt had been a disaster. My father’s labyrinth of experiments, data, and secrets had evaded us, and now Chronos would be on high alert. But we hadn’t come this far to fail.

We regrouped at an abandoned warehouse several miles away. The three of us slumped onto the cold floor, Theo’s face grim as he pulled the laptop from his bag. Liam collapsed nearby, still nursing a bruise blooming across his cheekbone, while I sank against the wall, staring at the cracked concrete.

“We can’t do this without being smarter,” Theo said finally, his voice cutting through the tense silence. “Rushing in again won’t work. They know we’re coming now.”

Liam groaned, wincing as he shifted. “We don’t have the luxury of time. They’ll double their defenses by morning. We either hit them tonight or we lose our chance.”

I nodded slowly, my fingers curling into fists. “We need to destroy the core. Servers, archives, everything. If we can take out the power grid and eliminate their backups, we’ll cripple them for good.”

Theo looked skeptical. “Easier said than done. That building’s a fortress.”

“They’re also predictable,” Liam countered, sitting up straighter despite his exhaustion. “The power grid is tied to their central operations hub. If we can access it remotely, we can trigger a surge that’ll fry their systems. That gives us a window to destroy the physical servers without getting caught in a firefight.”

Theo frowned, tapping his fingers on the laptop. “A power surge like that would cause chaos. The whole system would go into lockdown—doors sealed, alarms blaring. Are you sure we can make it out in time?”

“We don’t need to make it out,” I said firmly.

Both of them looked at me, confusion etched on their faces.

“We just need to make sure Chronos doesn’t recover,” I continued. “If we plant charges in the sublevel and trigger them after we’re gone, it won’t matter if the lockdown kicks in. They won’t have anything left to protect.”

Theo exhaled slowly. “It’s risky.”

“It’s our only option,” I replied.

After a long pause, Theo nodded, determination hardening his features. “Then let’s do it.”

---

The second infiltration was different from the first. We knew the stakes now, knew what we were up against. Every step was calculated, every breath held as we slipped back into the shadows of Chronos Labs.

Liam worked quickly to disable the security panel at the side entrance. The cameras were already tracking us, but with Theo’s earlier hack, we had just enough lag to move through undetected.

The halls were eerily silent this time, the air thick with anticipation. My pulse raced as we reached the stairwell leading to the sublevel. Liam glanced over his shoulder, his face pale but resolute.

“This is it,” he said.

Theo nodded, gripping the bag of charges tightly. “Let’s move.”

We descended into the heart of Chronos Labs, the hum of machinery growing louder with every step. The sublevel was colder than the upper floors, the air stale and tinged with the faint scent of ozone. When we reached the server room, my breath caught.

It was massive. Rows of blinking machines stretched endlessly, their lights casting eerie shadows on the walls. This was the core of Chronos—every experiment, every manipulation, every secret my father had kept was stored here.

Liam went to work on the main console while Theo and I began placing the charges along the server racks. My hands shook as I worked, my thoughts racing. This wasn’t just about stopping Chronos anymore. It was about reclaiming my life, my memories, my future.

“We’re in,” Liam said, his voice breaking through my thoughts. “Triggering the surge now.”

The lights flickered as the system began to overload, the hum of the servers growing louder and more erratic. Theo and I hurried to place the last of the charges, our movements frantic as the room filled with the sound of alarms.

“Five minutes,” Theo said, his voice tense. “We need to get out of here.”

We sprinted toward the stairwell, the duffel bag bouncing against Theo’s side as he held it tightly. The facility was in chaos now—guards shouting, lights flashing, the air thick with smoke as the power grid began to collapse.

When we reached the main floor, a group of guards blocked our path. Liam didn’t hesitate. He charged forward, using the momentum of his body to knock one of them aside. Theo and I followed, slipping through the opening as the guards scrambled to recover.

“This way!” Theo shouted, leading us down a side corridor.

I could barely hear him over the deafening alarms and the pounding of my own heart. Every step felt like a marathon, every corner we turned bringing us closer to either freedom or capture.

We burst through the side exit, gasping for air as the cool night hit our faces.

“Go! Go!” Liam urged, pushing us forward.

We didn’t stop running until we reached the edge of the trees. From our vantage point, we could see the facility glowing faintly in the distance, the alarms still echoing through the night.

Theo pulled out the detonator, his hand steady as he glanced at me. “Ready?”

I nodded, my chest heaving.

He pressed the button.

The explosion lit up the sky, a fiery plume engulfing the facility as the charges detonated in sequence. The ground beneath us shook, the roar of the blast drowning out every other sound.

When it was over, a hush fell over the woods. The once-imposing structure of Chronos Labs was reduced to smoldering ruins, the smoke rising into the starless night.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I exhaled.

“It’s done,” Theo said quietly, his voice filled with both relief and exhaustion.

Liam nodded, his gaze fixed on the wreckage. “Yeah. It’s done.”

As I looked at the ruins, a strange mix of emotions washed over me—relief, sadness, anger, hope. Chronos was gone, but the scars it left behind would take longer to heal.

“We should go,” Theo said, his hand brushing mine.

I nodded, letting him guide me away from the destruction. Behind us, the remnants of my father’s empire burned, its secrets reduced to ash.

And for the first time, I felt free.

---
Can y'all ☆, and comment your opinions on my book please? I'm nearly 16 and I don't mind criticism <3