Life of a Light

Chap 55 - Shadows in waiting

(Mana moves like a ghost along the outer wall of the warehouse, her breath calm, controlled. One hand hovers near the dart tucked in her sleeve. She's listening—footsteps echo faintly within, mechanical hums vibrating through the rusted walls. Her boots make no sound.)

Mana (thinking, coldly focused):
This isn't just a hideout. Someone set this up. Reinforced windows. Surveillance nodes in the corners. And they're not amateurs.

(She slips through a side door, picking the lock in seconds. The inside is dim, lit only by flickering bulbs overhead. The floor is cluttered with crates, metal cabinets, and old tech—some active. Mana's eyes narrow.)

Mana (softly):
"Clever. But not clever enough."

(A shadow flickers on the catwalk above. She notices it just in time—dives behind cover as a projectile slams into the crate beside her, leaving a burning dent.)

Voice (echoing from above):
"You're not supposed to be here, Enforcement."

Mana (standing slowly, voice sharp):
"And you're not supposed to be interfering with Stone Hill students."

(A masked figure leaps down, landing with a heavy thud. He's taller, armored, clearly enhanced. Mana doesn't flinch.)

Masked Combatant:
"This isn't your fight. Turn around."

Mana (stepping forward, calm as ice):
"Wrong again."

(The figure charges. Mana meets him head-on.)

[Fight Sequence Begins]

(The first exchange is brutal. The masked combatant swings with power—wide arcs meant to overpower. Mana ducks, pivots, redirects his momentum into a wall. He recovers fast, but so does she.)

She doesn't waste energy—every strike she throws is tight, efficient. A jab to the throat, a palm to the elbow joint. The opponent grunts, stumbling.

Mana (coolly):
"You're not used to fighting someone who trained to dismantle threats, not play with them."

(The masked figure roars, powering up with a surge of kinetic energy. A punch slams into the floor, sending a shockwave through the room. Mana flies back, hits a support beam—but rolls with it.)

She stands. A small cut bleeds on her brow, but her eyes are sharper than ever.

Mana (thinking):
Distraction. He wants to delay me. Someone else is deeper inside.

(She feints left, then kicks a loose pipe with surgical force. It ricochets off the ceiling—smashing a power node. The lights flicker, and for a second, her opponent is blinded.)

She strikes. Fast. Elbow to the ribs. Knee to the thigh. She sweeps his legs and drives him into the ground with a sharp, echoing crack.

The figure groans, reaching for a device on his wrist.

Mana (grabbing his arm, voice steel):
"Don't."

(She slams it against the floor, shattering the tech. Then she leans in close.)

Mana:
"Tell me what's behind the inner chamber. Now."

(The masked figure doesn't answer—but in the flicker of light, Mana sees fear in his eyes.)

Mana (coldly):
"I will find out. With or without your help."

(She leaves him stunned, moving deeper into the compound. Her steps are steady now, her mission even clearer.)