Page 164 of Broken Sentinel

"Zara, please," Lily begs, pulling at my arm. "We have to leave!"

Something in her desperate plea breaks through my paralysis. I move toward the exit, pulling her with me, even as Trent and Vex continue their deadly dance behind us.

We're almost through the doorway when I hear it—a choking sound that stops me cold. I turn to see Vex pinned against the wall, Trent's hand at his throat, those altered eyes showing no recognition, no mercy.

"No!" I scream, rushing back into the room.

Trent turns at my voice, and for just an instant—a heartbeat—I see him. My Trent, fighting through whatever Unity has done to him. His grip on Vex loosens fractionally.

"Run," he whispers, voice his own again. "Please."

Then the moment passes, his expression hardening once more as security alarms begin to wail throughout the facility.

At the distraction, Vex manages to break free and run toward me, gasping for breath. "We need to go. Now!"

He grabs my arm, pulling me toward the exit as Unity forces converge on our location. Lily is already in the corridor, frantically motioning us forward.

"We can't leave him," I protest, even as I allow Vex to drag me away.

"That's not Trent anymore," Vex says grimly. "Whatever they did?—"

"He's still in there," I insist. "I saw him. Just for a second."

But it doesn’t matter. We race through Resonance's corridors, security forces closing in from all directions. Sara and the rest of the team meet us at a junction, their rescue mission apparently more successful than ours.

"Extraction route compromised," Jo reports tersely. "Alternate path required."

"Maintenance shaft, section four," Sara suggests. "Direct access to outer perimeter."

We change course, moving as one cohesive unit through service passages and maintenance tunnels. Behind us, Unity forces pursue with relentless efficiency. Ahead, uncertainty awaits.

We're approaching the outer perimeter when disaster strikes—a security team cuts off our escape route, modified operators blocking the final exit.

"Go," Jo says simply, stepping forward. "I'll handle this."

Before anyone can argue, she engages the security team with shocking efficiency, her movements revealing modificationsI hadn't fully appreciated. The distraction works, allowing us precious seconds to slip through an adjacent passage.

The maintenance shaft is tight, forcing us to crawl through darkness toward distant freedom. When we finally emerge into pre-dawn darkness, our transports wait as planned, concealed among broken structures approximately two kilometers from Resonance.

"Get in," Vex urges, helping me toward the closest vehicle. "They're right behind us."

I comply mechanically, body moving while my mind remains trapped in that processing chamber with Trent. With what Unity has made of him.

The transport accelerates away from Resonance, putting distance between us and pursuing forces. Beside me, Vex breathes heavily, blood seeping through makeshift bandages.

"You're hurt," I manage, forcing myself to focus on the present.

"I'll survive," he says simply. "Can't say the same for your Sentinel."

"He's still in there," I repeat stubbornly. "I saw him break through, just for a moment."

Vex is silent for several seconds, studying me with uncharacteristic gentleness. "Maybe," he concedes finally. "But what Unity's done to him..." He shakes his head. "Those modifications aren't like yours or mine. They're targeting his neural pathways as much as his genetics. They’re changing his mind, his persionality, everything he is."

"We'll find a way to help him," I insist, though the words sound hollow even to my ears.

"First we need to survive," Vex counters. "With Resonance compromised and Unity's modified operators actively hunting Haven children, our options are limited."

The transport continues its escape across the wasteland, dawn breaking behind us. I stare out the viewport, watchingResonance recede into the distance—along with any immediate hope of saving Trent.

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