Evelyn moved swiftly, retrieving her encrypted USB drive. Plugging it into her isolated backup server, she initiated a data recovery protocol. Her files began to decrypt, but she knew she had little time.
The shadows on her screen were more than just corrupted data—they were the Nexus Protocol watching her.
Her phone buzzed again. Another unknown number.
"Evelyn, you need to leave."
This time, it wasn't a distorted voice—it was Lucas Carter.
"How do you—"
"No time. They're coming. Meet me at the Redline Café. Go now."
Her heart pounded. Packing her laptop and her secure drive, she grabbed her jacket and bolted from her apartment. As she exited the building, a black sedan pulled up nearby, its tinted windows concealing who was inside.
Evelyn didn't wait to find out.
In the digital world, she had always been a hunter. But now, she was the prey.