The Glass Divide 2
Lin let out a slow breath. “Cassian. He’s our age. He says there’s a group, on both sides, trying to bring down The Divide. He wants to help us find them.”
Jax ran a hand through his messy dark hair, pacing. “Lin, this could be a setup.”
“I know. But what if it’s not?”
Jax stopped pacing, his gray eyes locking onto hers. “You trust him?”
Lin hesitated. She barely knew Cassian, but something about the way he spoke—the way his voice had wavered, as if he, too, was trapped behind the glass—felt real. “I don’t know. But I believe he wants to help.”
Jax exhaled sharply. “And what happens if the guards find out? If we get caught—”
“They won’t.” Lin straightened. “Because we’re not going to be reckless. We’re going to be smart. Cassian said he’d reach out again. We wait.”
Jax shook his head, muttering something under his breath before flopping onto an old mattress in the corner. “This is a terrible idea.” But he didn’t argue further.
Lin sat down, absently turning the microchip in her hands. If The Glassbreakers were real, if Cassian wasn’t lying, then maybe—for the first time in her life—there was a way out.
Maybe The Divide wasn’t as unbreakable as they thought.
A Meeting in the Shadows
Three days passed before Cassian made contact.
Lin and Jax were scavenging near the border when Lin’s earpiece crackled to life.
“Lin?”
She stiffened at the sound of Cassian’s voice. “I’m here.”
“Meet me at the old train yard. Midnight.”
Jax, listening in, frowned. “It’s a trap.”
Lin shook her head. “It’s a chance.”
Midnight found them crouched behind rusted railcars in the abandoned yard. Lin’s pulse thrummed as Cassian stepped into the dim moonlight. He had shed his pristine Exalt uniform, now wearing a simple, dark jacket and worn boots—clothing that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Decay.
“You came,” Cassian said, his voice low.
Lin nodded. “You said there was a way to bring down The Divide.”
Cassian’s gaze flickered to Jax, who stood slightly behind Lin, arms folded tightly. “And you trust him?”
Jax scoffed. “Funny. I was about to ask her the same thing about you.”
Lin shot Jax a warning look before turning back to Cassian. “Prove to us that you’re not lying.”
Cassian reached into his jacket and pulled out a small device—a sleek black tablet with a flashing map on its screen. He turned it toward them. “This is The Divide’s control grid. Every security system, every power relay, every automated defense runs through this network. The Glassbreakers found a vulnerability—a way to shut it all down. But we need access to a core terminal.”
Lin’s breath hitched. “And let me guess—the only terminals are in the Lumina District.”
Cassian nodded. “That’s why we need someone from both sides. The Glassbreakers have people hidden within Lumina, but they can’t reach the terminals without raising suspicion. If we work together, we can take down The Divide from the inside.”
Jax let out a sharp laugh. “You want us to sneak into the most secure part of the city? That’s suicide.”
“Not if we do it right,” Cassian said. “I can get you in.”
Lin stared at the glowing map, her heart hammering. This was bigger than she had imagined. A real, tangible plan to tear down the wall that had imprisoned them their whole lives.
She met Cassian’s gaze. “When do we start?”
The Infiltration
The plan was simple. At least, in theory.
Cassian would smuggle Lin and Jax into Lumina through an underground aqueduct system used for maintenance. From there, they’d meet with an inside contact—an Exalt scientist who had secretly been working with The Glassbreakers. With her help, they’d breach the control center and overload The Divide’s systems, shutting down the energy field protecting the glass wall.
But everything hinged on getting through the border undetected.
The night of the infiltration, Lin and Jax stood at the mouth of the tunnel, staring at the gaping darkness ahead.
“You sure about this?” Jax murmured.
“No,” Lin admitted. “But we don’t have a choice.”
Cassian led the way, his tablet screen casting eerie blue light against the damp walls. The tunnels smelled of rust and stagnant water, and every sound felt amplified in the suffocating silence.
They were halfway through when Cassian suddenly halted, holding up a hand. Lin’s breath caught.
Voices.
Above them.
Lin pressed herself against the tunnel wall, heart pounding. Jax tensed beside her, gripping his knife.
“They’re running another security sweep tomorrow,” a deep voice muttered.
A second voice scoffed. “Waste of time. No one gets through The Divide.”
The footsteps faded.
Cassian exhaled. “That was close.”
Lin glanced at Jax, whose jaw was tight with worry.
“We keep moving,” she whispered.
They reached the other side of the tunnel undetected. Cassian guided them into the back alleys of Lumina, where the air was impossibly clean, the streets unnervingly quiet. It felt surreal—so close to everything they had never been allowed to touch.
At last, they arrived at a narrow building. Cassian tapped twice on the door. It cracked open, revealing a woman in a lab coat with sharp, knowing eyes.
“You made it,” she said, ushering them inside.
Cassian turned to Lin and Jax. “This is Dr. Valen. She’s been waiting for us.”
Valen studied them, her gaze lingering on their tattered clothes. “You must be the ones from the Decay.”
Lin lifted her chin. “We are.”
A small smile tugged at Valen’s lips. “Then let’s bring this wall down.”
The Divide was still standing.
But now, for the first time, it was beginning to crack.
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