The floating city shimmered with cold blue lights, as if eternally trapped in twilight. Alina stood on the edge of a suspended bridge, her eyes fixed on the towering skyscraper that pierced the clouds. The wind lifted her long hair, carrying a faint scent of metal.
Her fingers lightly touched the quantum operator embedded in her palm, feeling its subtle vibrations. In an instant, she could enter the Rift—a gray zone between reality and virtual space—slipping through walls and infiltrating any space without leaving a trace.
Tonight, her target was the Shadow Net, a mysterious organization lurking in the city's shadows, intent on stealing the city's core energy: the "Soul Core." The Soul Core powered the entire floating metropolis and contained forbidden ancient magic. If it fell into Shadow Net's hands, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Alina inhaled deeply, her gaze sharp and resolute. She leapt into the Rift, and the surroundings immediately twisted, blending reality and digital illusion into a labyrinth of light and shadow. The building's security systems appeared like transparent specters before her—every laser, every sensor, perfectly visible.
But the moment she stepped inside, alarms blared. Red lights flashed as Shadow Net operatives poured from every hidden corner. Alina dodged the lethal beams, her fingers flicking to create a quantum phantom that rushed down the corridor. The phantom drew the enemies' attention, while her real body moved silently in the shadows.
"They're faster than I expected," Alina murmured, a hint of tension flickering in her eyes. Every step could trigger a trap, every mistake could leave her lost in the Rift forever.
At the end of the corridor, she found an ancient metal door covered in strange runes—the mark of the Soul Core chamber. Her heartbeat quickened as she reached out, palm brushing the symbols. Quantum energy surged through her hand, the runes glowing as the door slowly creaked open. A dazzling beam of light shot out from within…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the Shadow Net leader's eyes gleamed with a faint smile. "She's come. Just as I predicted."
Tension, uncertainty, danger—the night in the floating city had only just begun.
Chapter Two: Shadow Pursuit
Alina emerged from the core chamber clutching the faintly pulsing energy crystal. She thought she was safe for the moment—but she hadn't anticipated the Shadow Net operatives quietly surrounding the entire building.
The floating city's night sky was like a deep ocean, neon light bands flickering, reflecting on her calm yet resolute face. The enemy closed in slowly, their footsteps echoing faintly on the metal corridor. Alina's heartbeat quickened, but she didn't panic—years of training had taught her to maintain perfect judgment under pressure.
"Quantum Phantom, activate," she murmured, fingertips brushing the controller on her wrist.Suddenly, the air twisted, and Alina's body fragmented into countless points of light, reappearing at the far end of the corridor. The operatives' eyes widened; their locked-on target had vanished.
However, the Shadow Net leader had anticipated this. The operatives were equipped with disruptors—Alina felt her phantom powers destabilize, her body trembling in the rift. She gritted her teeth, forcing control over the wavering blend of reality and illusion.
"You think you can hide?" a cold laugh echoed from the shadows.
Alina turned swiftly but saw only faint blue points of light—Shadow Net operatives maneuvering with the phantom distortions. She realized this was no ordinary ambush; it was a trap designed personally by the leader. Every move was calculated, every second pregnant with death.
She sprinted toward the rooftop, the city wind roaring past her ears. The skybridges of the floating structures sprawled like a web of steel spiders connecting the city. The operatives pursued, and in her mind, Alina already formulated her next plan: lure them into the quantum trap zone. Once activated, Shadow Net members would be trapped in the virtual rift with no escape.
The skybridge beneath her suddenly shook as flying drones screamed through the night, metallic blades slicing the air straight toward her. Alina leapt, activating her quantum phantom double. The drones chased the illusion while her real body silently slipped into a safe zone.
Breathing hard, she gazed at the flickering fragment of the energy core in her hand. Shadow Net's scheme ran deeper than she had anticipated; she needed to uncover the core's secrets before the entire city faced annihilation.
"Only three days left," Alina whispered, her eyes unwavering.She stepped into the night, vanishing into the shifting lights and shadows of the floating city.