A pale moon hung over the abandoned observatory as Eden Lin crept through the shattered glass doors, rain‑slick cobblestones glinting underfoot. The old rotunda lay silent—save for the distant hum of Harbor City's electric grid—and Eden moved like a shadow, the USB drive containing the laboratory's decrypted data tucked into her blazer pocket.
“Light?" Her whisper drifted through the dark corridor.
A small flashlight beam danced ahead. Leon Hart emerged from the gloom, trench coat dripping, eyes steely under the brim of his hat.
“You sure about this?" he murmured, voice soft but edged with urgency.
Eden tucked her hair behind her ear. “Quinn's report is clear: they're using underground storage beneath the east wing. That's where Aiden's being held until tonight's transfer to a private
