The Suit of Sins

Chapter 24: Total Blackout

The explosion wasn't one of fire, but of pure energy. For a heartbeat, the entire Berlin Central Station flickered, the massive glass ceilings plunged into a sudden, terrifying darkness. The hum of the servers died instantly, replaced by the panicked shouts of "The Cleaners" as their high-tech communication headsets turned into useless plastic.

Adam was thrown back by the force, his ears ringing. In the pitch-black room, only the faint, dying glow of the metallic cylinder remained. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the sharp pain in his ribs. He knew the blackout wouldn't last long—backup generators would kick in within minutes—but for now, he was a ghost in a blind world.

He moved through the dark like a predator, guided by the memory of the room’s layout. He felt the first operative enter, the heavy clatter of tactical gear giving him away. Adam didn't use a gun; he used the darkness. With a swift, silent movement, he disarmed the soldier and used the man's own momentum to send him crashing into a server rack.

"Where is he?!" a voice screamed from the hallway.

Adam didn't stay to answer. He slipped through the broken door, moving against the tide of panicked travelers who were now flooding toward the exits. Amidst the chaos of the darkened station, he saw a familiar silhouette near the shadows of a stairwell—the woman with the white rose.

She didn't say a word. She simply pointed toward an old service tunnel that led away from the tracks and toward the Spree River.

As he stepped into the tunnel, the lights above began to flicker back to life, casting long, jagged shadows. He looked back one last time at the station. The "Bridge" had been shaken, but not destroyed. Elias Thorne was still out there, and now, he knew Adam was willing to burn everything down to stop him.