"Dante, wait! Don't just charge in!" sigaw ko habang hinahabol ko siya pababa ng fire escape. The metal stairs groaned beneath our weight, echoing through the narrow alleyway of the apartment complex.
Nathaniel Vance was fast, but he was running like someone who didn't have a map. He was turning corners blindly, driven by pure panic.
"Systems, Elena! Give me the systems!" sigaw ni Dante nang hindi tumitigil sa pagtakbo. Tumalon siya pababa ng huling apat na baitang at lumanding nang maayos sa semento.
I pulled out my tablet, my fingers flying across the screen even while my heart was pounding against my ribs. I accessed the city's public transit API and the local traffic camera feeds I had "borrowed" earlier.
"Based on his current trajectory and speed, he's heading for the Libertad station," sabi ko, my voice tight. "But the next train won't arrive for another seven minutes. He's going to hit a dead end sa main road dahil may construction."
"So where will he go?" tanong ni Dante, huminto siya sa kanto at lumingon sa akin. Gulo-gulo ang buhok niya at pawis na ang polo niya, pero yung mga mata niya, they were sharp, unfiltered, and completely focused on me.
"The old warehouse district sa likod ng palengke," sagot ko, pinpointing a specific coordinate on the map. "It's the only place with enough blind spots para sa isang taong gustong maglaho."
Dante smirked, that familiar "Soul" confidence radiating from him. "Then we don't follow him. We meet him there."
Bago pa ako makasagot, hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinila ako patungo sa isang shortcut na hindi makikita sa kahit anong digital map. The sting of his palm against mine was a system shock I wasn't prepared for. It wasn't just a touch; it was a connection—an architecture of trust that was starting to override my protocols.
"Stay with me, Elena," bulong niya habang tumatakbo kami sa pagitan ng mga siksik na bahay. "This is where the pixels end and the real work begins."
Nakarating kami sa warehouse district eksakto bago makarating si Nathaniel. Hinihingal ako, my professional walls completely crumbled by the physical exertion and the lingering heat of Dante's hand.
"Diyan siya papasok," turo ni Dante sa isang kalawanging gate.
Sumandal kami sa pader, hiding in the shadows. The rhythm of our shared breathing was loud in the sudden silence of the alley. Dante was so close that I could feel the rise and fall of his chest against my shoulder.
"Ready?" he whispered.
I looked at him, and for the first time, I didn't see a rival. I saw the only person who could help me rewrite my past "dirt."
"Ready," I whispered back.
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