Location: Safehouse Omega, Outskirts of Virex City
Rain slammed against the shattered windows of the abandoned observatory. The team had barely escaped Sector 7 before it collapsed in a fiery implosion triggered by the AI failsafe.
Now, they were gathering fragments of breath. And sanity.
Ava sat alone near a rusted control console, staring at the flickering interface. Her knuckles were bloodied from gripping too hard. Her breathing—controlled, mechanical. Almost not human.
Because something inside her was... shifting.
Not just emotionally.
Neurologically.
Her code was rewriting itself.
Leon’s Confession
Leon approached, nursing a cracked rib and an old guilt. He leaned against the console beside her.
“You okay?”
“No,” Ava replied simply.
Leon exhaled, then tossed her a small d
