The tunnel walls seemed to close in around them as they fled deeper into the darkness, their footsteps echoing in the cramped space. Adrian led the way, but Aarav noticed his steps faltering—his posture slumping slightly, his breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Whatever strength had allowed him to create that shield outside was slipping away.

  Aarav’s mind raced. The Chitauri were after something—the light, Myra had called it—and the idea gnawed at him, chewing at the edges of his thoughts. Was it Adrian? Or something else entirely?

  He glanced down at Myra, still cradled in Ishani’s arms. Her eyes were wide, unafraid, as though she saw more than the rest of them. No child should be this calm, Aarav thought, but there was something different about her—something he couldn’t yet explain.

  Ahead of them, Adrian stumbled, catching himself on the tunnel wall. The faint glow beneath his skin flickered, then vanished entirely, plunging the tunnel back into darkness.

  "Adrian!" Aarav rushed forward, grabbing him by the arm. "Are you alright?"

  Adrian let out a shaky breath, pulling away slightly. "I’m fine... just... the powers, they take a toll."

  "Why?" Aarav pressed, frustration seeping into his voice. "What are you? Where did this all come from?"

  Adrian glanced at him, his eyes shadowed in the dim light of the tunnel. For a moment, it seemed like he was about to say something—his lips parted, and Aarav saw a flash of something raw in his expression. But then he shook his head, dismissing the thought.

  "I didn’t ask for any of this," he muttered, almost to himself. "But you don’t get to choose when your life changes. Sometimes it happens, and you just have to adapt."

  Ishani, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "That doesn’t explain anything, Adrian." Her voice was sharp, cutting through the stale air like a blade. "What are the Chitauri after? What do they want?"

  Adrian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he pressed a hand to his chest, wincing slightly as though in pain. His fingers traced the spot where the glow had emanated from earlier. "They’re after power," he said finally. "A source of energy, something they can use. And they think it’s here... somewhere in this city."

  Aarav exchanged a quick glance with Ishani. "And you know about it?"

  Adrian’s gaze flicked to Myra for just a split second, but it was enough for Aarav to notice. "I’ve been trying to stay ahead of them, keep it from falling into their hands." He paused, his voice lowering. "But it’s complicated."

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  "Complicated?" Aarav scoffed. "Try impossible to understand right now."

  Myra squirmed in Ishani’s arms, her small hand reaching out toward Adrian. "Don’t worry, the light is safe," she said softly. Her words, though whispered, seemed to echo off the tunnel walls, amplifying their weight. "It’s still sleeping... for now."

  Both Aarav and Ishani froze, their eyes locking onto Myra. "What did you say?" Aarav asked, his voice trembling.

  Myra blinked innocently, her gaze moving between her parents and Adrian. "The light is sleeping. They’re coming to wake it up, but it’s not ready yet."

  Adrian’s face went pale. "She... she can feel it." His voice was barely audible, his eyes wide with something close to fear. "That’s... that’s impossible."

  "What’s impossible?" Ishani demanded, her voice tight with barely controlled panic. "What is happening to our daughter?"

  Adrian shook his head, clearly at a loss for words. But there was something else in his expression now—something that looked a lot like recognition. "It’s not just the Chitauri after the light," he said, his voice low. "There are others. And if they find it first..."

  Before he could finish, a loud metallic clatter echoed down the tunnel, the unmistakable sound of armored feet approaching.

  "They’re coming," Adrian whispered, his voice strained. "We need to move."

  The tunnel suddenly felt suffocating, the walls pressing in, the air thick with the weight of what was chasing them. Aarav felt his pulse quicken. There was no escape, no way to outrun what was hunting them. Not unless...

  "Adrian," Aarav said, urgency thick in his voice. "Can you use your powers again? Block the entrance, give us some time?"

  Adrian hesitated, glancing down at his hands. "I don’t know if I can... I’m too—" He broke off, stumbling forward, his knees nearly buckling beneath him. "It takes too much. I don’t have enough left."

  But then, out of the corner of his eye, Aarav saw something that sent a chill down his spine. Myra had slipped from Ishani’s arms and walked toward Adrian. She stood before him, her small hand reaching out and resting gently on his arm.

  In an instant, the symbols on Adrian’s skin flared to life again, brighter and more vivid than before. The light pulsed through him, illuminating the entire tunnel in a warm, golden glow. Adrian’s eyes widened in shock, his breath hitching.

  "Myra..." he whispered, staring down at her in disbelief. "How...?"

  Myra smiled up at him, a soft, knowing smile. "It’s okay," she said simply. "You don’t have to be afraid."

  Aarav and Ishani could only watch, frozen in place as the glow around Adrian intensified. His strength seemed to return, the weariness melting away. The air in the tunnel crackled with energy, a faint hum building, vibrating against the walls.

  Adrian lifted his hands, the light now fully enveloping him, and with a deep breath, he raised a shimmering barrier of golden energy at the tunnel’s entrance. The metallic footsteps grew louder, closer, but when they reached the barrier, they stopped, halted by the invisible wall Adrian had created.

  The Chitauri soldiers on the other side let out guttural growls, pounding against the barrier, but it held firm.

  Aarav’s mind raced, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn’t understand what was happening, but one thing was clear—Myra had somehow given Adrian the power to protect them.

  For now, at least.

  Adrian lowered his hands slowly, the light around him dimming, though it didn’t vanish completely this time. His breathing was heavy, but the exhaustion seemed more bearable now.

  "We need to keep moving," he said, his voice steady. "There’s more to this tunnel, a way out. But they’ll keep coming."

  As they prepared to move, Ishani turned to Adrian, her eyes filled with questions. "What is my daughter? What is she doing to you?"

  Adrian looked at Myra, who was now back in her mother’s arms, her head resting peacefully against Ishani’s shoulder. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could answer, another sound echoed down the tunnel—a deep, resonant hum, followed by a voice, low and distorted.

  "They’ve found it," the voice said, though it didn’t belong to any of them. It seemed to vibrate through the air, coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.

  Aarav’s blood ran cold. "Found what?"

  Adrian’s face darkened. "The light."

  And then, from somewhere deeper within the tunnels, came a blinding flash of white.