The sound of blaring alarms echoed through the Syndicate's core facility as Kade sprinted down the steel corridors, his breath ragged. The walls trembled from distant explosions, and the scent of burning circuits filled the air.
Behind him, Lyra kept pace, her gun smoking from the last wave of Syndicate enforcers they had cut down. "We're running out of time," she said between breaths.
"I know," Kade muttered, gripping his sword tighter.
The energy core was close, just beyond the blast doors ahead. If they could destroy it, the Syndicate's entire operation would collapse, leaving the resistance with a chance to strike the final blow. But Kade knew they were walking into a trap. His father, Nathaniel Ronin, wouldn't let him get this far without a fight.
As if on cue, the heavy doors hissed open.
Standing in the center of the massive control room, surrounded by armed Syndicate elites, was Nathaniel himself. His silver hair was slicked back, and his dark tactical suit bore no insignia—he was beyond titles now, a ruler who answered to no one. His piercing blue eyes locked onto Kade with something between amusement and disappointment.
"So, you actually made it," Nathaniel said, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "I expected you to die long before reaching me."
Kade stepped forward, ignoring the soldiers pointing their weapons at him. "Guess I'm full of surprises."
Nathaniel sighed. "You have no idea what you're doing, son. You think destroying this core will bring peace? All you'll do is create a power vacuum, and something worse will take my place."
Kade's jaw tightened. "You're the one who made the world this way. You built the Syndicate on fear and control. It has to end."
Nathaniel shook his head. "You still see things in black and white. I created order. Without me, this world would tear itself apart."
Lyra stepped beside Kade, gun raised. "Enough talking. Step away from the controls."
Nathaniel barely glanced at her. "Ah, the girl who saved my son. Tell me, Lyra, did you ever consider that maybe he isn't the hero you think he is? That maybe, deep down, he's more like me than he realizes?"
Kade clenched his fists. "I am nothing like you."
Nathaniel smirked. "Aren't you? You've killed for your cause. You've sacrificed people who trusted you. How many bodies have you left in your path, Kade?"
Kade's breath caught for a second, but he pushed the doubt away. "The difference between us is that I fight for people's freedom. You fight to own them."
Nathaniel sighed again, then raised his hand. His guards immediately opened fire.
Kade and Lyra dove for cover as bullets tore through the air. Lyra fired back, dropping two guards, while Kade activated his blade and charged straight into the fray. He moved like lightning, slicing through armored enforcers with deadly precision. The Syndicate soldiers were highly trained, but Kade was faster, fueled by years of rage and purpose.
Lyra ducked behind a console, reloading.
"You never knew when to stop, Kade," Nathaniel said, his voice calm despite the chaos around them. "You could have been great. You could have stood by my side and built a world free of weakness, free of chaos. But instead, you choose to burn it all down."
Kade stepped forward, sword in hand. "You mean a world where people are forced to kneel, where you decide who lives and who dies?" He scoffed. "That's not order. That's just your way of feeding your own ego."
Nathaniel shook his head slowly. "You're still thinking like a child. You think rebellion makes you a hero? Look around you, Kade. What have you really changed? You've killed some soldiers, destroyed some outposts, but the Syndicate still stands. And even if you manage to bring it down, another will take its place. People need control. They crave structure. Without it, the world will tear itself apart."
Lyra raised her gun, her finger on the trigger. "Enough of this. You want control so badly? Let's see if you can control a bullet between your eyes."
In a blur, Nathaniel moved. A concealed energy blade ignited in his hand, slicing through the air as he lunged. Lyra barely dodged, rolling to the side as the floor where she had stood sparked from the impact. The Syndicate elites opened fire, forcing Kade and Lyra into cover.
Kade gritted his teeth. His father was fast. Too fast.
"Kade!" Lyra called out as she returned fire, taking down two guards before ducking behind a console. "We need to get to the core controls before reinforcements arrive!"
Kade locked eyes with Nathaniel, his heart pounding. This was it.
"You go!" Kade shouted. "I'll handle him!"
Lyra hesitated, but one look at Kade's expression told her there was no talking him out of it. With a nod, she sprinted toward the central control panel.
Nathaniel smirked. "Brave choice. But foolish."
Kade charged. Their swords clashed, blue sparks flying as metal met energy. Every swing of Nathaniel's blade was precise, calculated. Kade barely kept up, blocking and dodging as his father struck with deadly efficiency.
"You always lacked discipline," Nathaniel said as he forced Kade back. "You fight with emotion. It makes you predictable."
Kade grunted, pushing against the force of Nathaniel's blade. "Maybe. But at least I fight for something real."
With a sudden burst of speed, Kade feinted left before twisting his blade upward. The unexpected move caught Nathaniel off guard, slicing a deep cut across his side. He stumbled back, gripping the wound as crimson stained his suit.
For the first time, Nathaniel looked… human.
Kade didn't hesitate. He pressed forward, slashing again. But this time, Nathaniel deflected with a brutal counter, sending Kade crashing into a console. Sparks erupted around him as he gasped for breath.
"You're strong," Nathaniel admitted, wiping the blood from his wound. "Stronger than I expected. But strength alone won't win this war."
Kade coughed, pulling himself up. "Maybe not. But you know what will?"
Before Nathaniel could react, the entire facility shook violently.
From across the room, Lyra slammed her hand onto the final override panel. "Shutting this place down," she shouted.
The energy core's containment field flickered. Sirens wailed as the Syndicate's entire power grid began to overload. Sparks flew from the consoles, and the reinforced blast doors began locking down.
Nathaniel's eyes widened. "No."
Kade smirked, wiping blood from his lip. "Looks like control isn't in your hands anymore."
Nathaniel's face darkened, but before he could move, the floor beneath them rumbled. The entire facility was going down.
Lyra ran to Kade, grabbing his arm. "We need to move, now!"
Kade looked at his father one last time. The man who had once seemed untouchable now stood in a crumbling empire of his own making.
"Come with us," Kade said, surprising even himself.
Nathaniel's expression was unreadable. For a moment, Kade thought he might actually consider it. But then, with a cold, distant look, he turned toward the burning core.
"My empire doesn't fall," Nathaniel muttered.
Kade clenched his jaw. There was no saving him.
He turned and ran with Lyra, dodging collapsing debris as the entire Syndicate core erupted into chaos.
As they sprinted through the corridors, the walls caving in around them, Kade felt something shift inside him. This wasn't just about revenge anymore. It never had been.
It was about ending the cycle.
And as the Syndicate's fortress burned, Kade knew there was no turning back now.