_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5">Lyra's lungs burned as she sprinted through the dense undergrowth, ducking beneath low-hanging branches and vaulting over fallen logs. The hunting party had been trailing her for nearly an hour now—five pyers working in coordinated formation, systematically cutting off her escape routes.

  She'd recognized their tactics immediately. Corporate security training. Probably former Servicers with military backgrounds before entering the Game. Their communication was minimal but effective, hand signals and occasional whistle patterns guiding their pursuit.

  Most hunting parties were desperate, disorganized. These were professionals.

  Lyra paused behind a massive oak, her back pressed against rough bark as she fought to control her breathing. Her neural interface dispyed her current status: stamina at 43%, minor cerations on her left arm from a briar patch, three trap components remaining in her inventory, and the pulsing red marker of the weekly quota timer—two days until deadline.

  She knew why they were hunting her. Solo pyers were prime targets this close to quota reset. Five-to-one odds meant each of them would get kill credit while minimizing their own risk.

  Efficient. Logical. Exactly what she would do if she were hunting instead of being hunted.

  A twig snapped to her right. Too close. She'd lingered too long.

  Lyra bolted, abandoning stealth for speed. The forest floor sloped downward, and she used the momentum to increase the distance, though her neural interface mapped the terrain ahead with a fshing warning: DEAD END.

  The ground grew increasingly muddy as she approached what her map identified as a seasonal stream, now swollen with recent rains. Beyond it, a sheer rock face rose at least thirty feet—unclimbable without proper equipment.

  "Cornered," she muttered, skidding to a halt at the water's edge.

  The stream was too deep and fast to cross safely. The rock wall offered no escape. And the hunting party was closing in from behind, their movement markers converging on her position.

  Lyra quickly assessed her options. Three trap components wouldn't stop five trained hunters. Her modified bde could maybe take one down, but not before the others overwhelmed her. Her only advantage was knowledge of the terrain—she'd spent two days mapping this area while gathering resources.

  There was one possibility. Risky, but better than certain death.

  She activated her neural interface's terrain overy, confirming the presence of an underground hollow she'd discovered yesterday—a small cave formed by the stream's seasonal erosion of the rock face. The entrance was partially submerged and easily missed unless you knew exactly where to look.

  Lyra slipped into the cold water, gasping as it reached her chest. She moved carefully along the rock wall, fingers searching for the narrow opening hidden behind a curtain of hanging vines. Her hand found the gap just as shouts erupted from the treeline behind her.

  "There! In the water!"

  "Don't let her cross!"

  An arrow whistled past her ear, striking the rock face with a metallic cng. Lyra ducked underwater, squeezing through the narrow opening and into the darkness beyond. The passage was tight—barely wide enough for her shoulders—but it opened into a small, dry chamber after about ten feet.

  She pulled herself onto a rocky ledge, soaking wet and shivering. Her neural interface provided minimal illumination, casting the cave in a ghostly blue glow. Water dripped from her clothes as she checked her inventory. The trap components had stayed dry in their sealed pouch, but she had limited options for using them in this confined space.

  Voices echoed from outside. They knew she was cornered but hadn't yet discovered the cave entrance.

  "Spread out along the bank. She's gotta come up for air somewhere."

  "Maybe she went under the rock face? Could be a passage."

  "Check for underwater openings. Hanson, use your detection module."

  That was a problem. Detection modules were rare equipment, typically avaible only to Privileged-css pyers. If they had that kind of gear, they might find her hiding spot within minutes.

  Lyra moved deeper into the cave, searching for another exit, but her interface confirmed what she feared—the chamber was sealed except for the underwater entrance. She was trapped.

  With no better option, she set to work quickly arranging her remaining trap components near the narrow passage. If they came through, at least she could take one or two with her. It wouldn't be enough, but she wouldn't make it easy for them.

  The neural interface's proximity alert fshed. Someone was approaching the underwater entrance.

  "Found something!" a muffled voice called from outside. "There's a gap here, behind the vines."

  Lyra gripped her bde, backing against the far wall of the cave. At least in this confined space, they would have to come at her one at a time. Maybe she could—

  A strange sound interrupted her thoughts. A sharp whistle followed by a grunt of pain. Then another. And another.

  Confusion flickered across her neural dispy as the hunting party's markers began to disappear one by one from her proximity detector. Not moving away, but vanishing completely—the signature of pyer elimination.

  Silence fell outside. Her interface showed no remaining hostiles.

  Lyra remained frozen, bde ready. This made no sense. Had another hunting party attacked her pursuers? If so, she'd just traded one threat for another, potentially worse one.

  Minutes passed. Water dripped rhythmically from the cave ceiling.

  Then, a voice called out—clear, authoritative, but not threatening.

  "If you're in there, you can come out. They're gone."

  Lyra didn't move. It could be a trap.

  "We're not hunting for quota," the voice continued. "If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn't have eliminated your pursuers."

  The logic was sound, but Lyra had survived by trusting her instincts, not strangers' promises. She remained silent.

  After a moment, the voice spoke again, this time with a hint of impatience. "Fine. Stay in your cave. We'll move on. Just thought you might prefer an alliance to drowning in there when the rain starts again tonight."

  Alliance? The word caught her attention. Few pyers offered alliances to strangers, especially not to Unaligned pyers like her. Her sensor still showed no hostiles, only five unidentified pyer markers maintaining distance from the cave entrance.

  After a moment's hesitation, Lyra disarmed her makeshift trap and made her decision. She slipped back into the cold water and navigated the narrow passage to the outside.

  Emerging from behind the vine curtain, Lyra kept her bde ready as she scanned the area. Five figures stood at a respectful distance along the stream bank. Three male, two female, all wearing equipment several tiers above standard Game issue. Definitely not Worker or Unaligned equipment—the quality was too high, the modifications too sophisticated.

  The leader stepped forward, and Lyra's breath caught. Even soaking wet and exhausted, she immediately recognized the tall, golden-haired young man. Alexander Voss, heir to VitaCore Industries, son of Marcus Voss himself.

  Which meant the identical young man standing slightly behind him was his twin brother, Elijah.

  The Voss twins. Here. Their presence in this remote section of Floor 4 made no sense.

  "You have good survival instincts," Alexander said, his voice matching the one that had called to her. "Those hunters had you cornered."

  Lyra said nothing, calcuting her odds. Five highly equipped pyers versus her single bde and exhausted stamina. Not good, even if they genuinely weren't hostile.

  The second twin—Elijah—stepped forward. His posture was less commanding than his brother's, his expression more curious than authoritative.

  "We're not going to hurt you," he said, his voice softer than Alexander's. "We've been watching those hunters track solo pyers all day. They've already taken down three."

  "Why should I care what you do with other pyers?" Lyra finally spoke, her voice steady despite her shivering. "And why would Architect heirs care about an Unaligned pyer?"

  Alexander raised an eyebrow. "You recognize us."

  "Everyone in Terminus knows the Voss twins," Lyra countered. "Your father makes sure of that."

  The truth was more complex. She'd studied the Voss family extensively before entering the Game—part of her preparation had been understanding the key pyers in the corporate power structure. The twins' faces had been featured in countless corporate announcements and VitaCore promotional materials. But they didn't need to know that.

  Alexander exchanged a look with his brother before turning back to her.

  "You're freezing," he observed matter-of-factly. "And those hunters won't be the st to target solo pyers. The quota deadline is approaching."

  Lyra's hand tightened on her bde, eyes scanning each member of their group. The Game had taught her one thing above all else: trust was a luxury few could afford, and offers of help always came with hidden costs.

  Behind Alexander, the severe-looking woman with sharp features was watching Lyra with obvious suspicion. The bulky man in combat gear maintained a ready stance that spoke of military training. Only the twins and the smaller woman with technical gear seemed retively at ease.

  "Why did you help me?" Lyra asked directly, keeping her voice steady despite her shivering.

  Before Alexander could answer, Elijah spoke, his eyes studying her with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.

  "The question," he said quietly, "is what happens next."