The distinct clatter of a magazine being reloaded snapped him back into the present. He leaned out from cover and fired a quick burst of shots, forcing the Ganados to duck. “¡Olé!” he called mockingly, his voice dripping with faux cheer. “Come on, chicos! Can’t hit me? Maybe you need glasses, eh?”

But behind the taunts, his mind raced. He could feel the seconds slipping away like sand through his fingers. Somewhere deeper in this labyrinth of steel and concrete, Ada and Leon were counting on him to secure the data they needed to bring Los Illuminados down. If he didn’t move, if he didn’t act—no, that wasn’t an option.

Luis adjusted his grip on the gun, his knuckles whitening. "Okay, Luisito, think." He scanned his surroundings, taking in the overturned tables, the shattered beakers glinting like jagged stars on the floor, the faint hiss of gas escaping from a cracked pipe. His eyes lit up. "Ah, perfecto."

Sliding across the floor on his knees, he yanked a loose gas canister into position and tilted it toward the advancing infected. A single bullet was all it took, the spark igniting a roaring explosion that sent flames licking at the walls and thick smoke pouring into the room. The screams of confusion and pain were immediate, and Luis didn’t waste a second, sprinting toward salvation as adrenaline coursed through him.

His chest heaved as he pushed through a set of wooden doors and slammed them shut behind him, the clang echoing down the hallway. He leaned against them, his breath ragged but his grin as sharp as ever. "Luis Sera: one, Los Illuminados: zero. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen."

The grin didn’t last long. It never did. As the sound of distant boots and cultish ramblings began to close in again, his humor faded into something more somber. His free hand reached into his pocket, fingers brushing the photo he carried with him everywhere—a group of smiling scientists, all younger, more naive. One face in particular stared back at him, one he couldn’t forget. His.

I’m sorry, he thought, the words he could never say aloud. But I’ll make it right. I swear, I’ll make it right.