In the distance, the sound of explosions echoed through the night. Elara's diversion was underway, and it was working. The facility's eastern perimeter was under attack, drawing the attention of the guards and drones. Selene signaled for the team to move forward, and they slipped through the shadows toward the facility's main entrance.
The door was heavily reinforced, but Livia had provided them with a bypass code. Selene entered it quickly, and the door slid open with a soft hiss. The team moved inside, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. The facility was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
"Stay sharp," Selene whispered as they moved deeper into the facility. "We don't know what we're walking into."
The team split up to cover more ground, with Selene and Daniel heading toward the central lab. The closer they got, the more uneasy Selene felt. The walls were lined with monitors displaying data from Project Eclipse, and the sight of it made her stomach churn. This was where the Consortium had conducted their experiments, where they had tried to turn people like her into weapons.
They reached the lab, and Selene's breath caught in her throat. The room was filled with rows of containment pods, each one housing a person. Some were alive, their eyes wide with fear as they pressed against the glass. Others were lifeless, their bodies broken by the experiments.
"We need to get them out," Daniel said, his voice tight with anger.
Selene nodded, her hands trembling as she activated the release mechanism. The pods hissed open, and the survivors stumbled out, their faces pale and drawn. Selene's heart ached as she looked at them, knowing that they were just like her - victims of the Consortium's cruelty.
But there was no time to dwell on it. The sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and Selene's instincts screamed at her to move. "We need to go," she said, her voice urgent. "Now."
The team regrouped and began to make their way back to the entrance, but they were too late. The corridor was filled with Consortium soldiers, their weapons trained on the resistance team. Selene's heart pounded as she realized they were surrounded.
"Drop your weapons," one of the soldiers commanded, his voice cold and authoritative.
Selene exchanged a glance with Daniel, her mind racing. They were outnumbered and outgunned, but she wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.
As the soldiers moved closer, Selene felt a surge of energy coursing through her. It was familiar and foreign all at once, a power she had always feared but never fully understood. She didn't know if she could control it, but she knew she had to try.
The room erupted into chaos as Selene unleashed her abilities, the air crackling with energy. The soldiers were thrown back, their weapons clattering to the ground. Daniel and the others seized the opportunity, fighting their way through the stunned guards.
But as Selene stood amidst the chaos, she felt a cold dread settle over her. The power she had unleashed was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It was raw and uncontrollable, and for a moment, she wasn't sure if she was still herself.
The line between who she was and what the Consortium had made her was blurring, and she wasn't sure if she could ever find her way back.