The city never slept. Neon lights buzzed overhead, reflecting off rain-slicked streets as Ethan and Luna slipped through the crowded alleyways. The hum of late-night traffic blended with distant sirens and murmured conversations, but Ethan's focus was sharp. Every face in the crowd could hide a threat.
Luna moved beside him, her expression unreadable beneath the hood of her jacket.
"So, Project Phoenix," Ethan said, voice low but steady. "What is it exactly?"
Luna hesitated, then glanced around before speaking.
"It's a weapon. Not just any weapon — something that can bend reality, rewrite memories, and control minds. The corporation is building it in secret."
Ethan's heart hammered.
"You're saying they can change what people remember? Change history?"
Luna nodded. "If they unleash it, the world as we know it could burn."
A sudden screech cut through the night. Two black SUVs tore down the street, headlights blinding.
"They found us," Luna hissed, pulling Ethan behind a dumpster.
Gunshots shattered the quiet.
Ethan rolled out, firing with deadly accuracy. The attackers were professionals, but caught off guard.
Within moments, the vehicles sped away, leaving a warning in their wake.
Breathing hard, Ethan stared after them.
They want me dead.
But now, he was more certain than ever.
This was no longer just about revenge.
It was war.
The rain had started — fine drops that quickly soaked through Ethan's jacket, cold and relentless. The neon lights blurred into streaks across the wet pavement as he and Luna ducked into a narrow side street, heartbeats still hammering from the sudden attack.
"God, they move fast," Ethan muttered, eyes scanning every shadow.
Luna didn't answer at first. She pulled a crumpled map from her bag and flicked it open, fingers tracing a route through the city's forgotten underground tunnels. "They have eyes everywhere. The corporation's reach is deeper than you know. The only way out is through these passages."
Ethan's mind replayed the firefight — the sound of bullets ripping through the night, the sharp sting of adrenaline, and the cold calculation that kept him alive.
They had almost been killed.
He didn't want to think what would have happened if Luna hadn't warned him.
"Why me?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper as they moved cautiously forward. "Why tell me about Project Phoenix?"
Luna's eyes flickered with something unreadable — a mixture of fear and determination. "Because you're the only one with the skills and the fire to fight them. And because… you have a score to settle."
The truth hung between them, heavy and unspoken.
---
As they descended into the tunnels, the city's noise faded into a distant hum. The air grew damp and cool, filled with the smell of earth and rusted metal. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows on the cracked walls.
The underground was a world apart — a labyrinth of forgotten spaces, graffiti-stained walls, and echoes of footsteps long past.
Ethan's boots echoed as he followed Luna, senses sharp, muscles tense.
"This is where the resistance hides," Luna said quietly. "Not just people like me, but scientists, hackers, even some insiders who want to see the corporation fall."
Ethan glanced at her. "And you trust them?"
She shrugged, but there was a flicker of hope in her eyes. "They're all we have."
---
They reached a heavy steel door, worn but solid. Luna punched a code into the keypad, and with a hiss, it slid open.
Inside, the room was a hive of activity — computers lined the walls, cables snaking across the floor, and faces illuminated by screens filled with streams of data.
A man looked up as they entered, dark-haired and serious.
"Luna," he said curtly. "Who's the new recruit?"
She gestured toward Ethan. "This is Vale. He's back."
The man's eyes widened slightly. "The one who survived the fire?"
Ethan nodded.
"We need to move fast," Luna said, pulling up a holographic display of a sprawling complex on the main screen. "This is the corporation's research facility. Project Phoenix is being developed here. We've intercepted plans — it's far more dangerous than we imagined."
Ethan studied the image. The facility was massive, heavily guarded, and located beneath the city's center.
"If they activate that weapon…" Luna's voice dropped. "It could rewrite memories on a global scale. They could control governments, markets, even the population itself."
Ethan's fists clenched. The fire that had consumed his family was just a spark compared to the blaze this weapon could ignite.
---
Suddenly, the door slammed open.
Two armed men stormed in, weapons raised.
"Security breach!" one shouted.
Chaos erupted.
Ethan ducked behind a console, pulling a pistol from his jacket. Luna tapped furiously at the keyboard, trying to override the lockdown.
Bullets ricocheted off metal and glass.
Ethan fired with deadly precision, dropping one attacker before the second slipped past him toward Luna.
Without hesitation, Ethan lunged, tackling the man to the ground.
The struggle was brutal but brief. Ethan disarmed the attacker and pinned him down.
"Who sent you?" Ethan demanded.
The man sneered, blood trickling from a cut on his lip. "You're playing a dangerous game, Vale. The corporation owns this city."
The words hit like a slap.
Suddenly, the screens flickered — a chilling message appeared:
"Terminate Vale. No exceptions."
---
As the guards retreated, alarms blared throughout the complex.
Luna's fingers flew over the keyboard.
"We need to get out. Now."
Ethan nodded, heart pounding.
---
Outside, rain poured in sheets, washing away the blood and dust of battle.
They ran through the tunnels, breathing heavy, senses alert.
Finally, they emerged into the shadowed streets, the city's neon glow like a ghostly beacon above.
Luna looked at Ethan, eyes fierce.
"This is bigger than you or me."
Ethan stared out at the city — a place that could burn, and yet still hold a flicker of hope.
He swallowed hard.
"This time, we burn it down together."