Chapter 14 · The Forbidden Touch

"Stay down if you want to keep your head attached to your neck," Zero spat, her voice a jagged rasp. She didn't look back at Kael. She couldn't. Not while her hands were still shaking from the adrenaline and the lingering ghost of that neural bridge.

Kael groaned, his eyes fluttering open. He tried to push himself up from the grime-slicked floor of the bunker, but his arms buckled. "Zero... the Syndicate..."

"Shut up. Just shut up for one second," she snapped, stepping in front of him. She slammed her back against the rusted bulkhead, her breath coming in sharp, hot bursts. Outside, the rhythmic thud of Syndicate boots echoed through the corridor—heavy, methodical, and closing in.

She felt the familiar surge of agony beginning to claw back into her spine, the pain-circuits resetting now that the link was severed. It felt like molten lead being poured into her vertebrae. She hissed, her nails digging into the metal wall, leaving deep gouges in the paint.

"You're shaking," Kael whispered, his voice thin. He reached out, his fingers brushing the hem of her tactical gear. "The link... it's not fully closed. I can still feel you.