It was quiet. Way too quiet.

“There seems to have been a conflict here,” Crystal examined, looking around. “Be careful. I sense other machines, though I can’t tell if they’re currently present. They have technology that I can’t bypass.”

It was chilling how easily Sina had been captured. Whoever had taken her had been swift, carrying her far away before he’d awoken. He was going as fast as he could, and still, there was some distance to cover.

“That’s the building,” Elias noted. He heard strange noises all around him, like a million rats scraping at steel with their teeth. “What’s that?”

“Shadows. They’re surrounding the place. They seem to be in conflict with—I can’t tell,” Crystal shook her head. “Whatever they are, they’re jamming everything they’re near to.”

“Automatons,” Elias breathed. “They came after us before. But I don’t understand why they would fight the Shadows.”

Crystal didn’t reply. The situation would have raised more questions in his mind if he hadn’t been so worried sick for Sina.

“How are you keeping track of her?” Elias said, his heart rate accelerating. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

“I am very sure. I’m watching through the distant cameras—the ones that aren’t jammed. They entered the building. The girl hasn’t emerged, but two other individuals did.”

“Oh, fecula.”

Elias knew how indestructible Sina could be. Before, she had talked about the organization that had created and deployed her—the ones that had tried to eliminate her after she’d completed her mission. They were the ones behind the automatons, and they had tried to bomb them before.

They were trying to kill Sina, once and for all.

“Can you tell if she’s still alive?” Elias pleaded, wishing the quad bike would go faster. “I need to make sure she’s alive.”

Crystal shook her head. “Nothing is certain.”

The dreadful noise was subtle in the background, like distant cicadas in the summer. It continued when he jumped off his bike and began to run to the building and up its stairs. All the while, his heart thumped in his ears as he took three steps at a time.

Elias stepped onto the highest floor, and everything became silent.

His eyes focused on the figure before him. In the middle of the room—half-emerged in mucus—was the body of a young girl, limp and naked on a small platform. Her eyes were closed, and though there weren’t any visible wounds on her body, the walls and floor of the ruined room were splattered with copious amounts of blood and chunks of flesh, mixed in with broken metal parts and wires. The floor was wet with crimson, and as he ran to the body while the world slowed down around him, his shoes made plip plop sounds below him.

“Sina,” he breathed. “Sina!”

She didn’t reply. For a moment he was terrified that something horrible had happened to her. But he placed his finger on her neck, and relief washed over him when he felt a clear pulse.

“I’m here,” he muttered, wishing his hands would tremble less. “We’re going back together.”

He carefully fished her out of the gel-sac, wiping away the gooey substance away from her body with his hands. He knew he had to hurry; there was no telling if their enemies were still nearby.

“You’re safe for now,” Crystal reassured.

He nodded in thanks. Taking his jacket off, he wrapped Sina with it and held her in his arms. She was so light. Much lighter than him. It made him want to cry, but he was well beyond that.

“Let’s go,” he whispered, holding her tightly.

He swiftly went down the stairs while holding Sina carefully. He looked around, feeling something amiss as he got on his quad bike with Sina positioned before him.

“It’s quiet,” he noticed, focusing on the sound. “I can’t hear the background noise anymore.”

“The Shadows are still,” Crystal told him. “They haven’t been moving ever since you’ve come in contact with the girl.”

Elias eyed Sina’s face that was resting on his chest. He looked back up again, noticing that she had no clothes on.

Back in the other city, the clone he’d killed had done something to Sina. He could still vividly recall the black tendrils that had seeped into Sina’s body. The Shadows were responding to whatever had contaminated her, following after them. That was the only explanation he could think of.

“I promise I’ll keep you safe,” Elias breathed, placing his lips on Sina’s head. “I promise I won’t let them take you.”

“She might be the one who is controlling them.”

He looked up at Crystal.

“Or supplying them with energy,” she rephrased. “It doesn’t make sense that they can move so much without having to ingest enough food.”

“What are you suggesting?” Elias growled.

“I’m on your side, Elias,” Crystal said softly, looking hurt. “I’m only telling you my observations.”

“Observe more. You’ve only been out here for an hour.”

“Okay.”

For the first time since she’d manifested in the real world, she faded away, vanishing from his sight. He knew she was still there, inside of the CNI integration in his spine. Only then did he realize that he’d been harsh to the only one who’d truly cared about him and only him, someone who’d been with him through the good and bad.

“It’s okay,” Crystal whispered. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

Elias thanked her with his heart. While Sina could read his emotions, Crystal could read his brain signals—his everything.

But perhaps it was because Sina was real and Crystal wasn’t, he found his mind filled with the former, and she was all he cared about for that moment.

And yet, Crystal’s words had sparked something in his thoughts. Sina had been unusually tired as of late because she’d had to be on the lookout for automatons as they slept. But what if it was because—her energy was going into the Shadows?

“It can’t be.” Elias bit his lip. “She was probably holding them back.”

It doesn’t make sense that they can move so much without having to ingest enough food.

He held onto Sina more firmly, afraid that she might slip. Everything could be dealt with after she’d woken up.

The sun was strong against his skin. But night would come, and with it, the Shadows. His eyes looked straight ahead, knowing well that even without Sina, Crystal would be on the lookout now. He wasn’t powerless anymore. His muscles would grow, and his senses would be inhumanly sharp with Crystal by his side. Sina was weaker, but they’d gained an ally.

But she had mentioned strange things. Now that he had Sina in his arms, his mind began to clear.

“You said something earlier. About the group that took Sina,” Elias muttered, “and about how the machines were here for a different purpose. You were in the system. What the heck is going on?”

“The Engans,” Crystal spoke, reappearing in front of his face as a small figure. “They wish to use the girl’s abilities. You’re familiar with the justice system, right?”

“A little.”

“Then you would know that if you commit murder, the punishment is being turned into a Dient,” Crystal continued. “The Engans are a group of murderers who have escaped their punishment by exploiting Workman’s rule of not killing anyone. By having a small bomb in their heads that explodes if Workman attempts to access their CNI fluid, they are able to stay under the radar.”

“What do they want to do with Sina?”

“She has supernatural abilities that Workman cannot control or detect. By using her, they can start destroying servers that are immune to most forms of technology.”

He remembered the destruction site he’d visited with Sina back in the other city. Something had mangled the place beyond recognition.

“Back in the walled city, we had to visit a server building to get information. But it was completely demolished. We thought the clone had done that.”

Crystal nodded. “She did. I suppose she was convinced by the Engans.”

Elias furrowed his eyebrows. The wind was hurting his eyes, so he yawned to get some liquid back on them.

“How much do you know?” he asked.

“Everything you know, and a little more,” Crystal told him. “I think I was sent back to you for a purpose.”

“By Workman? Was he the one who sent me here?”

Crystal shook her head. “I’m not sure. But what’s certain is that when you were about to fall into cryosleep, I was notified that you had connected to the network. And considering that Workman manages the system, it’s possible.”

His emotions began to bubble inside of him, but he took a deep breath, calming himself. There had been times when he had wanted to die, times when he had blamed the world for not saving him, but in the end, it had led him to Sina. There was something big going on, and he’d been chosen to be included in it all. Though exactly how, he wasn’t sure. If Workman really had sent him, it was cruel for not telling him so, leaving him stranded somewhere foreign without proper instructions.

“I promise I will explain things in due time,” Crystal said softly, touching his hand. “There are many more things I can now know through my copy in the system. But for now, you have to promise me one thing.”

“Which is?”

Crystal looked at him dead in the eyes. “Promise me you’ll love the girl. Promise me that she’ll love you. That is all that is important for now.”

It was a strange request.

“I already love her, and she loves me as well.” Elias clenched his jaw. “But I promise.”

Crystal smiled so sweetly. If she hadn’t been an SPC, such an expression would have torn his heart. But she existed solely to assist him.

“Make me a promise too,” Elias requested. “Don’t keep things from me like you did back when the video was released. Tell me what I need to know.”

“Elias…there are some things that I—”

“Promise me,” Elias insisted. “You knew back then. You said that you couldn’t break the rules, but things are different now. You’re different now. That’s what you told me—that you’ve changed because of me.”

“The system might delete me if I stand out too much,” Crystal said. “And because of the augments I encoded into your CNI fluid, if my copy becomes deleted, I might stop being…me.”

Crystal smiled, leaning forward. “But I promise. Anything for you.”

“Okay, don’t do anything that will get you deleted,” Elias decided. “I need you to stay with me.”

“Okay!”

An SPC within the system that would think to go against it…was unthinkable. Yet, Crystal had evolved. Perhaps it was a miracle, or perhaps the system was allowing it. Either way, he was glad.

“For now, show me the best place to rest.”

“Right away.”

With his companion’s help, Elias drove the quad bike towards one of the locations Crystal had suggested, somewhere around twenty kilometers away. He would have liked to go farther, but Sina’s skin had begun to become cold. Making sure Sina was properly taken care of was his utmost priority, and the goo that covered her body was something he wanted to wash off as soon as possible.

“You know, this reminds me of the first time I found you,” Elias whispered, hoping that his body warmth would transfer to her. “I thought you were dead then as well. But you came back. I know you can do it again. And this time, you won’t have to be tired anymore. This time, I will take care of you.”

He sniffed. “I’m sorry I had to put you through all of this. All because I was weak. Without me, you could have fended for yourself.”

“But now, I’m with you,” Crystal comforted.

“Yes,” he agreed. “Now, it’s my turn to protect her.”

Never, ever again would he let anyone snatch Sina away from him. Whoever they were, he would send bullets flying into their flesh and bone. According to Crystal, the ones who wanted Sina were murderers.

It wouldn’t matter if one or two of them died.

Crystal was silent, though her warm hand on his arm was enough to tell him that she’d help him achieve everything he had in mind.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

Buzz. Fwip.

Something jerked his mind awake. It was a familiar sensation, something Crystal used to do when he had to wake up quickly. Most of the time, it was because there were enemies nearby. Elias lifted his head quickly, looking around—

—and he saw Sina looking down at him. She’d had her hand on his head but had pulled it away after his sudden revival.

“Sina!”

He rose and hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth on his skin. “You didn’t wake up for two days. I was—was so worried.”

She returned his hug, tapping him on his back. It made him feel reassured.

“What happened?” Sina mumbled, sounding tired. “Why are you so worried? I…I can’t seem to remember much. Elias, please don’t be sad.”

“I’m not. I’m glad you’re back.”

He moved to position himself next to her on the bed. “Do you remember anything? You were kidnapped. I don’t know what they did to you, but I found you inside of a broken container.”

Sina shook her head, touching it. “It’s all very foggy. I fell asleep next to you, and everything is black after that.”

“It’s okay now,” Elias assured, holding her hands in his. “We’re safe now. I won’t let them harm you.”

“Elias? You seem…different.”

She was talking about his emotions. He nodded, tapping his chest.

“I got an upgrade,” he told her. “I managed to find someone who can help us. We’ll be able to get information more easily now.”

“You’re confident.”

“I am.”

He looked down. “I’m sorry you had to deal with everything before. Looking out for hostiles, keeping the Shadows away—you don’t have to do it anymore.”

His eyes met hers. “You knew about the Shadows, right? You didn’t want to tell me because you knew I hated them.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, her eyes fell.

“Are you…controlling them?” Elias asked carefully.

“I don’t know exactly,” Sina said quietly, closing her eyes. “I’m connected to them in some way. I didn’t notice they were following until recently.”

Elias knew his suspicions had been right. “The clone. She did something to you.”

Again, no reply.

He’d always thought of Sina as steadfast and unbreakable, but the current her looked like a child being scolded, unsure of how to react. Her head was faltering, and she’d turned her face slightly away, not wanting to meet his eyes. She looked unsure, almost anxious—even with her blank expression, Elias could tell. He could tell that there was something wrong.

“Sina.”

She looked at him, her face full of emotion. It wouldn’t have been strange for her to begin crying right there and then.

“Read my heart. See?”

He pulled her hand on his chest. “I’m not blaming you. I’m worried about you. I don’t want you to suffer.”

“Elias…”

Sina hugged him, tightly in a full embrace. When he felt her tremble, he knew that something was wrong.

“Sina?”

“I’m sorry,” Sina said, burning her face into him. “I can’t read you. I can’t feel what I could before. It’s…all very foreign.”

Realization dawned on Elias as he felt Sina’s tears fall from her head onto his shoulder. Perhaps the reason why the people had left Sina unguarded was that she’d no longer be of use to them. The image of her lying lifelessly on a puddle of goo struck him in the skull like a hammer, echoing through his brain.

He gripped his fists tightly.

“Don’t worry,” he swore, gritting his teeth. Even if she had lost her powers, nothing would change for him.

Nothing at all.

“I’ll protect you now.”

⤙ ◯ ⤚

“Alright, here’s the plan,” Elias said, drawing on the sheet of paper. “This is where we are. We’re in the Northwest part of the city. Apparently, it’s a megalopolis.”

Sina nodded. “A megalopolis? Is it the one you came from?”

“I’m not sure,” Elias replied, “but according to the information, where we’re in is called Outer Rest.”

His house was in Mazeyhill which was somewhere on the east side of the continent. Never in his life had he heard about a place called Outer Rest, but then again, they’d entered the city through the west. The whole megalopolis spanned the entire continent, going on for thousands and thousands of kilometers, so even if they were in the same megalopolis, it would take ages to reach his home.

That is, if they were even in the same megalopolis. It would take a little more research to find out, which Crystal’s clone was doing in the network. But the process would be slow; too much and the clone would be eliminated by the system.

Elias knew that other cities and continents existed as they had been mentioned during class. But cities had become more of a habitat than places for tourism, and as a result, he didn’t know much about them. He assumed that they were the same over there as well, and since the existence of the Otherworlds would link them all together, there hadn’t been a sense of separation either. Everyone spoke the same language, thought the same way, learned the same things, and had the same items available in stores or through delivery. Though, there were some eccentrics who insisted on going around places in the real world.

Like Jewel and her parents. And now, him and Sina.

“I’m planning to take us east towards the center of the megalopolis,” Elias told her, pointing to a location on the paper. “Along the way, I hope to find a Health Center where we can examine your body. There’s one not far from here. The problem is everything that is chasing after us.”

“Which are?”

“The Shadows, the Engans, and the automatons,” Elias listed, writing them all down. “We’ll assume that the Shadows are following you because of something the clone did. So far, they don’t seem hostile. They’re keeping their distance from us for some reason. We’ll have to find a way to cut them off. But I think that will only be possible after you’ve regained your strength. We’ll ignore them for now.”

Elias circled the Engans with a finger. “Now, these guys are the real problem. They’re the ones who kidnapped you. Apparently, they’re a group of murderers trying to exploit you and your abilities. I found you in an abandoned building with blood and debris around you, so something must have happened that made them leave.”

The more he thought back to that scene, the more puzzling it became. In the video He’d been shown, he’d seen two figures escaping from the building. The video had deteriorated there as the footage had cracked and broken, turning into a mess of static. Something had happened inside, and he didn’t know what.

“They might attempt to kidnap you again,” Elias said. “I don’t know how they found us, but they must have something that lets them keep track of our location. Do you feel something off about your body, like a bulge anywhere?”

“I don’t think so,” Sina said. “But my senses have dulled. I’m not sure.”

“That’s okay. A checkup at the Health Center will fix that. Er, I mean, not your senses, but whether or not there are other things in your body.”

Sina nodded.

“Now, about the automatons.”

Whenever they appeared, Crystal’s intelligence would be rendered useless. They jammed cameras, interfered with her connection to her clone, and made everything more complicated.

“We don’t want to mess with them. I think they might be after the Engans. But it’s strange. Remember that horde we ran into? They came after us as well.”

Crystal had theorized that they were meant to capture people and put them into cryosleep, which led to the question—why? Why had all the people been evacuated? The machines looked like they could easily kill, not capture.

“I have a feeling that they are meant to eradicate the Shadows,” Elias guessed. “So we’ll try to steer clear of them.”

Crystal had given him another theory, but it was something he wanted to ignore. Killing Sina wouldn’t stop the Shadows. Even if it did, he would never let it happen.

“If the clone could wipe out a city by herself, so can the girl,” Crystal had reasoned as he’d watched over Sina. “You’ll be in danger if you stay with her. But I know you will. It’s my job to make sure you survive.”

“I’m sorry I can’t keep an eye out as I am now,” Sina said. “I don’t think I will be of much use.”

“That won’t be a problem. We have an ally with us.”

Sina’s body shifted. “An ally?”

Elias scratched his cheek. “Remember the drone I told you about? The one that helped me before I met you. I managed to recover it. Well, not exactly the drone itself.”

He tapped on his back. “The program is inside of my CNI fluid. I can access the city’s cameras through it, and it also makes me superhuman, though I haven’t tested it out yet.”

Sina stared intently at him, then reached out and touched his neck. Her hand felt warm, but it lacked the vibrance he’d come to sense through the supernatural gift she’d given him.

“Did it hurt?” she asked softly. “I’m sorry you had to do it for me.”

“It wasn’t painful,” he replied. “Anyway,”

He got up, helping Sina on her feet. “The quicker we are, the better off we’ll be. I was warned about using any kind of technology, but I think a quad bike will be okay. Once we get to the Health Center, we can plan our next step.”

“I’m counting on you, Elias.”

“Of course. It’s about time I repaid you.”

“I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Elias smiled, giving Sina a tight hug. “Don’t worry. I don’t want to see you hurt either. We’ll make it through this, I promise.”

When he pulled away, he looked into her eyes. “When all of this is over, I swear I’m going to make Workman give you a peaceful life. Even if I die, I’m going to make you happy.”

“But Elias.” Sina smiled. “I already am.”

“More happy,” he added. “Don’t think about saying, ‘I can die happily now that I’ve experienced love.’ That’s only what lousy characters do in movies.”

“Movies?”

“Right, I have to show you those too. But we have to move now. Are you feeling okay?”

Sina nodded. “I can move,” she told him.

They began to pack their things, which wasn’t much. What mattered the most were the food packets. While Crystal could locate stores and hotels along the way, he’d need them just in case. Water would be easier to find, and it would be too heavy to carry around, given Sina’s condition.

His heart sank when he saw her struggling to lift her sniper rifle. Before, she’d been able to do it with one arm, but now, she struggled under its weight.

“I’ll carry it,” Elias said, taking it from her. “You can carry the clothes.”

“But you’re carrying the food. It’ll be too heavy for you.”

“We’ll be traveling on a vehicle anyway. And I got an upgrade, remember?” Elias said confidently. “I’ll let you know if I need help.”

It didn’t take long for them to prepare. He’d already scavenged everything they would need, including some medkits and fuel for the quad bike. After neatly organizing everything, it was finally time to head towards the Health Center. Elias dreaded what he would discover there, but it was necessary for Sina.

If she had been fatally poisoned, he would never be able to forgive himself.

“Hey, Elias?”

He turned around. Sina was behind him, not yet on the bike.

“Yeah?”

“The clone. Do you think she deserved to die?”

It was a strange question, considering the fact that she had been sent to kill her and he had killed her. But the clone had had the same genetic code as Sina, her being her clone. Had things been different, the clone would be just like Sina.

“She tried to kill you,” Elias answered.

“But before we met her. When she was alone in the city, do you think she deserved to die?”

“Hmm.”

Elias scratched his cheek. “She killed everyone in the city, right? Or turned them into Shadows. You were sent to kill her, so I guess she was too dangerous to be left alive.”

Sina got on, wrapping her arms around his waist. She pressed her head against his back.

“What if she hadn’t turned all of the people into Shadows? Would she still have to be killed?” she asked.

He shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t think so.”

“Maybe they’re trying to kill me because I’m the same,” she said quietly. “I’m too dangerous to be left alive.”

“You haven’t killed anyone,” Elias told her. “You don’t deserve to die. No one deserves to die because they’re too dangerous. Even if the whole world came at you, I’d still fight them by your side.”

“Really? Promise?”

Elias chuckled softly. “Isn’t that what I’m doing right now? I promise on my life.”

Sina pressed herself closer to his body, burying her head into him. He couldn’t see her expression, but through the gift she’d given her, he could tell that she was pleased.

They began their journey.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

It was a little past noon when they arrived at the Health Center.

The first one they’d come across had been deemed too dangerous as Crystal hadn’t been able to access its cameras. While carefully driving so that they wouldn’t come across any hostiles, they reached the second Health Center—a major one with tens of floors and hundreds of rooms.

“The facilities have been shut down, but I can power the body scanner,” Crystal told him.

So they made their way to the fifth floor after positioning the bike at the entrance. It was a strange experience for him, being inside a Health Center this quiet. Usually, music would be playing in the background, and robots with their patients would be moving around the halls. But all of its lights were off, and only their footsteps echoed ominously. Thankfully, Crystal was able to bring power to the building, apparently fooling the system as being ‘maintenance.’

“But you’ll have to be quick,” she told him. “Two hours max.”

That would be enough time. It was a few minutes before they were at the scanning room, and Elias quickly helped Sina get dressed in the proper attire before the scan began.

“No, you don’t have to take off your underwear,” he told her. “Okay. Now lay still in the machine and close your eyes. It’ll take around twenty minutes.”

“Won’t you stay here with me?” Sina asked.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to. But I will,” he said, getting the okay signal from Crystal.

Now that she’d lost her supernatural powers, she seemed like a frail girl who was worried that he would leave her. It was a new side of her he was seeing, and he didn’t find it bad. It was…cute. He decided that he liked being relied on if he could see her like this more.

“Elias. You have to see this.”

It hadn’t been five minutes when Crystal appeared before him with a small screen. It was footage from one of the cameras displaying movement in the distance. Or rather, static.

“This was caught two kilometers away from here,” she told him. “Looking at the path, they’re heading this way.”

“The automatons?”

“I believe so.”

“What about the Engans?”

“I can’t find them at all,” Crystal said. “They have something that can turn them invisible. And they also seem to be aware of where the cameras are located, avoiding them.”

“Guess they aren’t nobodies,” he muttered. Anyone who could commit murder and get away with it was not someone who could be underestimated. It meant they had bypassed Workman’s security, escaping through all of the cameras and drones to avoid being caught.

“Sina, I’m going to go take a look outside,” he said. “Is that okay?”

“Outside? Is something happening?”

“I think so. But they’re still far away. I’m going to scout a little with the rifle.”

“Please be careful.”

“I will.”

Holding the rifle in his arms, he exited the room and headed towards the nearest window facing west. During the two days he’d spent taking care of Sina, he’d stuffed himself with food to gain some muscle. It had worked to a degree, though he wished he’d at least had a week to regain everything he had lost.

He opened a door into an open area with a small garden. Placing his rifle on the ledge, he peered through its scope, inspecting the general direction where the cameras had last received the static feed.

“I don’t think they’re moving now,” Crystal told him. “They’re keeping their distance.”

“Weird,” he muttered. The whole situation was weird. “Do you have any idea what the automatons want?”

“I think it’s what you’re suspecting,” Crystal said. “Eliminating dangers.”

“Are they from Workman? They have to be. Technology that advanced could only be from Workman.”

“I fear you may be right. But even if Workman had created them, I doubt they are under his direct orders. A sub-program may be controlling them.”

“Is there any way to stop them?”

“Not that I know of. But from what I’ve gathered, they won’t attack unless you provoke them.”

“But they’re following us.”

“Yes.”

“What the heck happened to Workman? Why is the situation such a mess?”

“I’m afraid I know too little. But it’s precisely because it’s a mess that I was able to find you,” Crystal reasoned. “These aren’t normal circumstances. I believe that the system itself is experiencing abnormalities, though they have kept it hidden from me.”

“Even the system? Oh, fecula…”

Workman was the ultimate artificial intelligence that humanity had ever created. It could learn and evolve, infinitely growing in knowledge and skill for the sole purpose of benefiting humanity. It had been without fault for the past few centuries, and all humanity had to do was enjoy everything it had created, peacefully and effortlessly.

Until now. Something was happening to the world he was familiar with.

Then again, the world he knew had changed long ago.

“But it means we’re safe for now,” Elias sighed, lifting his rifle. It was time for the scan to end. “I don’t know what the heck is going on, but I hope we can get to the end of this. Maybe find where everyone is. If I could introduce Sina to my friends, that would be satisfying.”

“They would be dumbstruck.”

“I know, right?”

He was over Jewel now. She was just a distant memory, replaced with Crystal, and more importantly, Sina. He would forget about her. Now that he thought about it, wasn’t she the one who caused this whole mess? Without her, he would have enjoyed the Otherworlds with his friends. Without her, he wouldn’t have been selected to be sent here.

But without her, he wouldn’t have met Sina. Because of her, he could properly convey his feelings to the girl he loved.

“I guess there’s always good in the bad and bad in the good,” he muttered.

He turned around, heading towards the doors—

“Elias!” Crystal screamed.

His muscles instantly jerked to the side, and he heard the sound of something whooshing by his ear as he rolled on the ground and bounced back up.

“What was that?!” he yelled, looking behind him. He saw a dart embedded into the glass door, dripping with fluid.

He turned around just in time for his eyes to catch another dart headed straight towards his chest.