The Obsidian Vault erupted in flames behind them.
Axel watched the inferno through the van's rear window, the orange glow painting the night sky. They had done it. They had destroyed the Covenant's inner circle's stronghold. But the victory felt hollow, like ashes in his mouth.
"We need to keep moving," Sable said, her voice flat. "They'll have backup. They always do."
"Where do we go?" Vance asked, his voice hollow. "Everywhere we run, they find us."
"I know a place," Flint said. "An old research station in the desert. It's been abandoned for years, but it's still operational. The Covenant doesn't know about it."
"Didn't we already use that place?" Troy asked.
"We used a different one. There are multiple stations scattered across the desert." Flint's voice was flat. "This one is eve
