Kael and Lyra burst through the access hatch at the rear of the Grand Assembly Hall, the synthesized accordion melody of the "Ballad of the Banana Bomb" echoing behind them. The full, raw cyan light of the Catalyst core pulsed on Kael's chest, exposed and unmasked.
They found themselves in the Academy's ancient freight tunnels—a labyrinth of dark, dusty passages, rusted tracks, and decommissioned service conduits that had been sealed off for decades. This was the route Jax had mapped for them.
"Valerius won't use the main routes," Lyra hissed, pointing to a narrow, vertical maintenance shaft.
"He'll anticipate the straight shot. We follow Jax's map. He marked a shortcut through the ventilation ducts that leads directly to the Deep-Star access shaft."
Kael scrambled up the shaft, Lyra following with the bulky High-Yield Energy Siphon case. The combination of his exposed power and the cramped, confined space made Kael feel trapped, despite moving toward freedom.
"The Genesis Core signature is too bright," Lyra whispered once they reached the ventilation shaft. "Valerius won't need sensors; he'll feel the energy signature. He knows the Deep-Star is our target."
Kael knew she was right. His existence was a flare in the psychic darkness, easily tracked by any powerful Guardian.
They were moving through a narrow, horizontal duct when the sound of heavy boots echoed from the main tunnel below them. Lyra signaled Kael to freeze.
Below, standing directly beneath the ventilation duct, was Master Valerius, flanked by four elite Syndicate Black Ops agents, their armor dark and their weapons focused.
Valerius hadn't wasted time with the bridge; he had moved straight to intercept the logical access point.
"I expected you to fall for the simple charm of a quick escape, Kael," Valerius's voice resonated through the metal ductwork, eerily close. "But you've always been more predictable when following the Code. The Deep-Star is the only way to the Vault. And this tunnel is the only way into the Deep-Star."
Valerius looked directly up at the duct, though he couldn't see them. "You are trapped, Catalyst. If you use your power to blast your way out, you risk destabilizing the entire sector, and you sacrifice the Siphon. Lyra, my dear Alpha, drop the case and surrender. I can still protect you from the consequences of your treason."
Lyra's jaw clenched. "I will not betray the Order, Valerius. The Vault will remain sealed!"
Valerius's face tightened with genuine anger. "Foolish girl. The Vault holds the Veil-Breaker—the key to the Syndicate's final operation. And Kael has the key to the Vault. The Genesis Signature is the lock's final command protocol."
The four Syndicate agents raised their weapons, aiming directly at the metal duct. The weapons were equipped with Non-Lethal Containment Fields, designed specifically to capture, not kill, the valuable target.
Kael knew a blast from the agents would instantly vaporize the ventilation duct, forcing them out and likely disabling Lyra in the process. His power was their only defense, but using it would instantly reveal their exact position and risk the Siphon.
"We don't have time for a moral debate, Kael!" Lyra whispered urgently. "Blast the floor out! We fall into the lower tunnels!"
"No," Kael whispered back, focusing on Valerius. "He wants me to use my power. He wants to prove my power is the problem."
Kael channeled a tiny, focused pulse of Stabilizer energy, not at the enemy, but through the metal of the duct, creating a resonant vibration that carried his voice.
"You sealed my memory to save the world, Valerius," Kael stated, his voice resonating through the air.
"You are the architect of the betrayal. You gave me the Neural Suppressor—the tool of my containment—and then handed me to the Syndicate.
Tell Lyra the truth: You were never going to let me stabilize the Veil."
Valerius's expression cracked with raw pain. "I controlled you to prevent the collapse, Kael! You were unstable! The Syndicate merely promised me the ability to manage your power!"
Lyra stared at the exchange, her hand tightening on the Siphon case. The full truth of Valerius's manipulation—his fatherly need for control overriding his Guardian duty—was laid bare.
Just as Valerius recovered and gave the command to fire, a series of frantic beeps and alarms erupted from the main service console on the wall beside the Syndicate team.
The light in the entire section flickered, and then a thick, pressurized jet of steam erupted from an antique valve directly behind the Syndicate agents. The steam wasn't just hot; it was dyed bright, fluorescent yellow.
Suddenly, Jax's frantic voice blared from the service console, amplified and distorted.
"LYRA! Kael! I found the secondary access route on the map! I'm opening the pressure valves now! Heads up! This is the old Synth-Shake Waste Disposal line! It's super pressurized and contains trace elements of banana-mango!"
Valerius and his Syndicate agents were immediately drenched in the hot, yellow, sticky steam. They staggered backward, blinded and cursing, their expensive containment gear useless against the absurd, pressurized goo.
"JAX! YOU IDIOT! YOU'VE COMPROMISED THE ENTIRE SECTOR!" Valerius screamed, wiping the sticky steam from his eyes.
"It's non-lethal, mostly!" Jax's voice chirped happily from the console. "And the pressure surge is sealing the tunnel behind you! You're welcome!"
Lyra didn't hesitate. "Go! Now! While they're blinded!"
Kael activated a brief, controlled pulse of his Genesis Core power, blasting the ceiling of the duct above them, creating a massive, chaotic burst of falling debris and dust that further obscured Valerius and his agents.
Kael and Lyra dropped down into the lower, darker service tunnels, pulling the Siphon with them. They could hear Valerius's frustrated roars echoing behind the collapsing debris.
They were free of the immediate threat, but they were now deep beneath the Academy, heading toward the most restricted location on the entire planet.
Kael and Lyra have escaped Valerius and the Syndicate, thanks to Jax's ingenious, chaotic use of the Academy's ancient infrastructure. They are now deep inside the Star, heading toward the Stasis Vault with the Siphon.