The dawn light was slate gray as Eden Lin and Leon Hart climbed the winding path to the abandoned observatory—its fractured dome and cracked stone steps the only remnants of a childhood sanctuary now repurposed for revolution. Leon carried April's encrypted medical tablet, wrapped in a blood‑red cloth; Eden cradled Aiden, his small fists curled around her necklace.
“We'll be safe here," Eden whispered, glancing at the broken columns overhead. “No cameras, no guards."
Leon nodded, breathing hard from their escape. “For now. But we don't have much time." He pressed a finger to April's monitor, watching the tiny heart‑rate blip: steady, resilient. A reminder of everything at stake.
Together, they entered the central rotunda. Shards of colored glass scattered rainbows across the stone floor
