<Drone Sentinels/>

As the dust settled, I turned to the Tower Guardian. Its light had stabilized, but the damage was done. Questions swirled in my mind—about GAIA, the Towers, and the twisted game we were all trapped in.

But for now, there was one thing I needed to do. I need to get out of here. Fast.

I glanced at Damian's unconscious form near the tower's entrance, blood smearing his temple but his chest still rising and falling.

I knelt briefly beside Damian. "You're good, bro. You'll make it," I muttered. "See you tomorrow." The words came out softer than I intended, but there wasn't time for sentimentality. Not now.

Behind me, the scene was chaos—shattered weapons, scorched earth, and alien creature bodies crumpled like discarded puppets.

The stench of burned flesh and ozone clung to the air. Sparks popped and fizzled from broken tech scattered across the ground, their dying hums barely audible over the eerie quiet that followed the carnage.

No time to linger. I turned away, boots crunching against debris as I moved toward the exit.

What was GAIA really doing with these towers? The question churned in my gut, even as Avroc's cryptic words played on repeat in my head.

Answers weren't what I needed right now—distance was.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and picked up my pace, slipping into the darkness before anyone could notice I was gone.

The notification flashed before my eyes like a warning bell:

[GAIA Surveillance Active]

[Retrieving Recordings...]

[Retrieving Failed]

[Issuing Cleanup Protocol]

[Releasing Drone Sentinels]

My stomach dropped. Cleanup Protocol wasn't just a fancy term for mopping up the mess. It was a full-scale lockdown with lethal force.

GAIA didn't leave loose ends, and if it couldn't retrieve its precious data, it made damn sure no one else got their hands on it.

The distant hum of drones powering up reached my ears, faint but unmistakable. My pace quickened instinctively, boots crunching against rubble as I darted toward the edge of the tower's perimeter.

Not good. Definitely not good.

I slipped between the shadows, keeping my movements sharp and deliberate. A glance over my shoulder confirmed it—the sentinels were deploying.

Sleek, metallic creatures with glowing red optics floated out of hidden compartments along the tower walls, their scanning beams sweeping across the carnage I'd just left behind.

"Of course, you have a backup plan," I muttered under my breath, teeth clenched.

I ducked behind a crumbled slab of stone as one of the sentinels drifted past, its beam slicing dangerously close to my hiding spot. My heart hammered in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Panic wouldn't get me out of this.

When the drone moved on, I bolted, keeping low and weaving between the wreckage. The tower's shadow stretched over the battlefield like a claw, and every step I took away from it felt like defying some unseen hand pulling me back.

I stepped lightly over the carnage—smoldering debris, shattered weapons, and the occasional limp body still clinging to unconsciousness.

The faint hum of drones activating reached my ears. They weren't far, their mechanisms kicking to life with cold efficiency. I ducked low, my eyes scanning the battle wreckage for a path out.

The first drone floated into view, its sleek frame glinting under the eerie glow of its central core. A soft pulse emanated from it—a hypnotic wave designed to catch those still breathing and too slow to run.

"Damian..." My thoughts wandered to my brother. If the sentinels tried to harm him, I would be the first to disable them—GAIA or not.

[Scanning Complete. Erasing Memories.]

The system's voice echoed ominously, and a high-pitched whir filled the air.

The beam swept across the battlefield, pausing as it found its first victim. A nearby awakener stirred, weakly raising their head.

The drone hovered closer, its red light intensifying as the pulse shifted frequencies. Within moments, the survivor's eyes glazed over, and they slumped back to the ground.

"Memory erasure," I muttered, grimacing. "You're thorough, I'll give you that."

None of this would matter once GAIA's cleanup was done. Survivors wouldn't remember the fight, the chaos, or even the truth of the tower itself.

My gut tightened. GAIA didn't leave survivors wandering around with memories they weren't supposed to have. It wiped them clean, erasing everything connected to the tower's secrets.

The drones were fast, methodical, and brutal. They didn't just record evidence— they erased it—permanently.

And anyone caught in their line of sight? Well, let's just say GAIA didn't have a reputation for mercy.

Seeing that Damian was safe. I clenched my fists. "Guess I'm not sticking around to negotiate."

I ducked behind a crumbled wall, my mind racing. The exit was only a short distance away, but the drones were quick, methodical, and relentless. They wouldn't stop until every witness memory was wiped clean.

As I crept closer, the exit loomed in sight—just a few hundred meters ahead—but with drones swarming like predators, it might as well have been a mile.

My HUD flickered, and a small notification flashed before me.

[Codebreaker Active: Surveillance Disruption Enabled]

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips. About time you kicked in.

The drones nearest to me hesitated, their movements stuttering for a fraction of a second. It wasn't much, but it was enough. I broke into a sprint, zigzagging to avoid the scanning beams.

A sharp hiss sliced through the air behind me—a sentinel firing its plasma charge. I dove forward just as the shot struck where I'd been standing, the impact sending a shockwave that rattled my teeth.

"Okay, that was close," I muttered, scrambling to my feet and pushing harder toward the exit.

The perimeter gate loomed ahead, a jagged gap in the otherwise seamless security barrier. I slipped through, not daring to look back until I was safely out of range.

Once I was clear, I allowed myself a moment to breathe, my back pressed against the cool metal of a derelict structure.

The drones wouldn't chase beyond the tower's jurisdiction—GAIA's efficiency didn't extend to unnecessary resource expenditure.

The tower's silhouette glared down at me, its ominous presence as haunting as ever.

Whatever GAIA was hiding in those towers, it wasn't just training grounds or leveling arenas. It was bigger—bigger than anything I'd been prepared for.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and pushed off the wall. One thing was clear— I'd need answers, and I'd need them soon.

Whatever GAIA was hiding, it wasn't just protecting humanity from monsters or running a twisted training program.

It was deeper than that. Bigger.

And every step I took seemed to uncover more of its tangled, dangerous web.

The thought made my stomach churn. Avroc's cryptic words echoed in my mind, adding another layer to the questions I didn't want to ask.

What happens when the towers aren't just challenges? What happens when they're a cage, and we're the rats inside?

I shook the thought off and pushed away from the wall. The answers would have to wait.

As I slipped into the darkness, my HUD flickered again, this time with a warning.

[High-Priority Surveillance Anomaly Detected.]

[GAIA Administrator Access Required.]

A cold smile tugged at my lips. "Good luck catching me, GAIA. You'll need it."

I disappeared into the night, leaving the Tower—and its secrets—far behind.

The city lights beckoned, and with them, the promise of another day to figure out just how deep this rabbit hole went.

But for now? Survival came first.