The small shop hummed with the low whir of machinery. Neon lights flickered above, casting a soft glow over sleek metallic surfaces and shelves filled with various items. The walls were lined with translucent panels, displaying holographic advertisements for the latest tech. One corner featured a glowing refrigerator unit filled with mysterious glowing liquids and packages.

  A sleek droid, with a polished chrome finish and a set of glowing blue eyes, moved silently behind the counter, its servos whirring quietly as it sorted through some inventory.

  Then, the glass doors slid open with a soft hiss and two figures stepped inside.

  The one in front was a man, dressed in a black hoodie with the hood pulled over his head. A golden 'C' was emblazoned across his chest, and he wore matching black jogging pants. His hands were tucked into his hoodie pocket, and despite being indoors, he wore sunglasses that obscured his eyes.

  Behind him, a woman followed. She wore a sleek grey hoodie adorned with pink lightning-like patterns. A white cap sat snug on her head, its rim lined with several metallic rings that gleamed under the shop’s lights. Like her companion, she also wore sunglasses.

  The droid behind the counter raised an optic at their arrival, awaiting them with an impassive gaze.

  Next to the entrance, a row of folded-up carts rested neatly against the wall. The man reached out, grabbed one, and pulled it free. With a soft click and a mechanical whir, the cart unfolded, its metallic frame expanding into a full-sized shopping unit.

  Without hesitation, he dragged it forward and then reached for another. He pulled that one out as well, letting it unfold with the same smooth precision. Then, without pause, he grabbed a third and repeated the process.

  The droid behind the counter tilted its head slightly, the glow in its eyes flickering as it observed the unusual behaviour. More carts clattered open, their wheels spinning slightly as they settled onto the floor.

  The droid's internal programming flagged the action as abnormal. Protocol dictated that if a customer's actions deviated from standard shopping behavior, it must inquire. Its servos clicked softly as it straightened slightly and addressed the man in its neutral, robotic voice.

  "Customer, what are you doing?"

  As the man pulled out the last cart, he glanced at the droid and grinned. "Ah, don’t worry, we’ll be needing all of these." he said casually before turning away. With two carts in hand, he started down one of the aisles. The woman followed suit, pushing her own pair of carts.

  Then, without hesitation, they started clearing the shelves. Boxes, bottles, and packages disappeared into the carts in rapid succession. They grabbed everything—food, supplies, electronics—anything within reach. The droid silently observed as they moved methodically through the store, entering aisles with empty carts and emerging moments later with them piled high.

  Then they hit the alcohol section. Bottles clinked as they were swept into the carts without restraint. Expensive brands, cheap brands—nothing was spared.

  By the time the pair reached the front, all of their carts were stacked nearly to the brim. The droid’s glowing eyes flickered as it processed the scene.

  "Customer, can you pay for all of this?" It asked.

  The woman smirked, tilting her cap up slightly as she leaned against the cart. "Don’t worry," she said smoothly. "We’re loaded."

  The droid hesitated for a brief moment before responding, "I see." Its mechanical head tilted slightly. "Who is paying?"

  The man, standing between the carts, took a step forward.

  "That’d be me." he said.

  The droid’s glowing eyes flickered. "To confirm identity, please display your OmniBand."

  Without a word, the man lifted his wrist, revealing a sleek black band around it. The droid extended a metallic hand, hovering it just above the device. A faint hum filled the air as its eyes flashed yellow for a moment. Then, a soft chime sounded, and the glow turned green. The droid retracted its hand.

  "Identity confirmed. Bowen Balters." The droid’s head swivelled to take in the overflowing carts. "Purchase also confirmed."

  There was a brief pause before it added, "Would you like a bag?"

  ***

  Owen and Grace stepped outside of the shop, a trail of floating bags hovering behind them in formation. As they emerged onto the street, the cold air greeted them with a sharp bite, rustling their hoodies. Neon lights from surrounding buildings cast shifting colours onto the pavement, reflecting off the glossy black surface of their parked truck.

  Grace made her way to the passenger side, pulling the door handle as the truck’s automated system unlocked with a quiet beep. Meanwhile, Owen walked to the back, tapping a panel on the trunk to open it.

  The floating bags smoothly drifted inside, stacking themselves. He adjusted a few to make room and shoved the last ones in before slamming the trunk shut.

  Exhaling a misty breath into the cold air, he rounded the truck, pulled open the driver’s side door, and climbed inside.

  As Owen took off his sunglasses and set them on the dashboard, Grace leaned back in her seat, a smile spreading across her face. She let out a small breath, taking in the sight of the town’s streets around them.

  "I still can't believe I finally get to walk outside." she said, almost in disbelief.

  Owen glanced at her as he gripped the steering wheel. "I was only locked up in that facility for a few months, and I already missed the freedom," he said. "I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you… after all those years."

  Grace solemnly nodded, her gaze drifting out the window for a moment before turning back to Owen.

  "Thank you," she said softly. "Without you, I’d still be locked up in that place."

  Owen smiled. "Hey, it was thanks to you too that we got out."

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Reaching into his hoodie pocket, he rummaged around before pulling out a wrapped cookie. He grinned as he held it up.

  "Man, I can’t believe I found this brand in this port town," he said as he unwrapped the top half. "But you’ve got to try this."

  He held the red cookie in front of Grace. She tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear, then leaned down and took a bite.

  She chewed for a few seconds, but her face quickly scrunched up in confusion. She swallowed hard and gave Owen a suspicious look.

  "Why is the cookie spicy and salty?" she asked.

  Owen chuckled. "Yeah, I thought it was weird at first too. But trust me, if you give it some time, it’ll grow on you."

  Grace grabbed a water bottle as the heat built up on her tongue. "Yeah, well, I’m not masochistic enough to finish the rest of it." she muttered before taking a long sip.

  Owen shrugged. "More for me." He popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth, chewing contentedly.

  With a smirk, he started the truck, the engine humming to life. As the vehicle pulled away from the curb, they drove down the quiet street and headed westward.

  As they continued driving, the scenery shifted. The dense clusters of buildings thinned out, giving way to industrial lots and storage yards filled with stacked cargo containers. Beyond that, the landscape opened into rolling hills, where the town’s outskirts met the untamed wilderness.

  Their road gradually shifted from paved asphalt to a gravel path, the tires crunching against the uneven surface. The hum of the truck’s engine was the only sound as they pushed further away from civilisation.

  For at least an hour they travelled down the path, and as they eventually rounded a towering cliffside, the landscape abruptly changed.

  Rows and rows of old warehouses sprawled out before them, their rusted metal exteriors standing against the winds of time.

  They continued down the centre road. The path was lined with old streetlights, most of which had long since gone dark. At the very end of the road stood a particularly large warehouse, its metal doors rusted and worn but still sturdy. Owen pulled up in front of it and gave the horn a couple of quick honks.

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a metallic groan, the old doors slid open, revealing a dimly lit interior. Without hesitation, Owen eased the truck forward, driving inside as the doors began to close behind them.

  The warehouse was a sprawling space with high ceilings and steel beams running across its length. Dim overhead lights cast a soft glow over the segmented areas as people walked around the place. To the left, a row of vehicles—trucks, hover bikes, and older model hover cars—were neatly lined up.

  Further in, crates and metal storage racks were stacked high, filled with supplies ranging from food to weapons. A central open space served as a common area, with scattered chairs, and an old, dented holo-table that flickered faintly with a static-filled display.

  Owen maneuvered the truck into an open space among the other vehicles and shut off the engine.

  As he and Grace stepped out, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the space. Will, along with Lucas and Lissie, came up to them, all three bundled in warm, colourful hoodies. Will had his hands stuffed into his hoodie pocket, his sharp eyes darting between Owen and the trunk.

  "If I carry the most bags inside, I get first dibs on the snacks." Will said with a smirk.

  Owen chuckled and gave a lazy shrug. "Sure."

  The moment he popped the trunk open, the three of them pounced, scrambling to grab as many bags as they could manage.

  Owen and Grace exchanged amused glances before turning away, leaving them to their competition. They walked together, heading deeper into the warehouse.

  Owen and Grace nodded at the various people they passed, exchanging brief greetings as they moved further in. The atmosphere was lively, with people working, chatting, and tending to various tasks.

  Ahead of them, a set of metal stairs led up to an office that overlooked the main floor. As they approached, a girl descended the stairs, her boots clanking softly against the steps. The moment she spotted Owen and Grace, her eyes lit up with recognition.

  "Hey, Sarah." Grace greeted with a small smile.

  Sarah, the girl responsible for making clothes for everyone in the hideout, brushed a few strands of her brown hair out of her face as she stepped closer.

  "Hey," Sarah replied, giving them both a once-over before resting her hands on her hips. "Did you get a good haul?"

  Owen smirked and crossed his arms. "Yeah, we got a lot of shit."

  Sarah nodded in approval, then tilted her head upward toward the office. "Isaac and the others have been waiting for you guys to get back."

  Grace glanced up the stairs and nodded. "Alright, we’ll go meet him."

  Sarah waved them off and turned to head back toward her workspace. Meanwhile, Owen and Grace climbed the metal stairs, their footsteps echoing softly as they made their way up.

  Owen and Grace stepped inside as the door slid shut behind them.

  Around the circular table stood Jason, Katherine, Joyce, Marie, and Isaac. At the sound of their entrance, all eyes turned towards them.

  Owen raised a hand casually. "Sup."

  While everyone else wore comfortable, casual clothing, Isaac stood at the forefront of the table, dressed in a sharp dark blue suit that made him stand out.

  "Did you properly hide your eyes the whole time?" Isaac asked.

  "Yeah, no one saw." Owen said as he and Grace moved closer.

  Owen then leaned against the table. "Alright, then. What do you need?"

  Isaac exhaled. "Right. I wanted to explain the next stage of the plan—to everyone in the warehouse."

  He straightened his suit and moved towards the door. "Let’s go."

  ***

  People slowly gathered in the common area, murmuring among themselves. Eventually, around two hundred people were either seated or standing in a rough circle, all facing Isaac, who stood at the centre.

  "I’ll go right into my explanation." Isaac said.

  He snapped his fingers, and a holographic map of the realm, Kedigon, was displayed on the ground. The projection revealed two vast continents—Peria, situated on the right, and Trisa, positioned on the left.

  "This is where we’re currently at."

  Isaac pointed to a spot southwest of the coast of Peria. A bright dot shone there, marking the location. He then moved his finger toward the northern parts of Peria, where another dot illuminated the map. "That’s where your families are being held, in Havec City," Isaac explained. "Getting there by hover car will take around five hours."

  He continued. "But just freeing our families won’t be enough to escape from Arden. We’ll need Voyager ships to truly escape the realm."

  Gasps rippled through the crowd.

  A man in the crowd raised his hand and asked, "Do we really need Voyager ships? Why not just use normal hover vehicles?"

  Isaac shook his head. "The massive chasms that surround a realm pull in anything that flies over them. Hover cars would just get sucked in and plunge straight into the abyss." A murmur spread through the crowd as some exchanged uneasy glances.

  "Voyager ships are specifically designed to cross chasms. If we want to escape Kedigon, we have to get our hands on one." Isaac then pointed to the other continent Trisa, where another bright dot lit up on the map.

  "That," he said, "is the city of Gaast. It’s where most of the ships and hover vehicles in this realm are produced. If we go there, we’ll find a Voyager ship." Isaac looked around at them.

  "So, we’ll need a secondary team to head to Gaast and secure the ship."

  Isaac put his hands together and said, "I’ll be leading that team. Gaast is where I grew up, so I know the city inside and out."

  He then turned his gaze to Owen. "And Owen will be leading the assault on the prison."

  A few nods and murmurs of agreement went around the crowd.

  "And I know all of you came here to help break out your families, but some of you will have to be put into a third group that won’t be going to either place."

  He glanced toward Sarah, then back at the crowd. "People with abilities like Sarah will instead go to another city to the south of Trisa and wait there for us."

  Isaac then clasped his hands behind his back as the map on the floor zoomed out, revealing a wider view of the seven southern central realms. The glowing dots marking Havec City and Gaast were now mere specks among the vast lands displayed.

  He gestured to the map. "Now, let’s discuss the realm we’ll be escaping to."

  The crowd leaned in, listening intently.

  "Arden governs all the central realms, so staying here isn’t an option. Heading north would only take us deeper into their control. The obvious answer is south."

  The map highlighted the realm directly bordering Kedigon.

  "This is Tauveth—a heavily contested realm. While it's considered one of the southern middle realms, Arden forces are still trying to take it over. But that’s really our only option since we’re surrounded by Arden controlled realms otherwise. So that’s where we’ll head first after rescuing our families."

  He let his words sink in before scanning the faces in the room. "Any questions?"

  Silence.

  Isaac nodded. "Good. Rest up. We leave tomorrow."