Alarms shrieked. Sparks flew from shattered consoles. My chest felt like it would explode. Every nerve screamed, something had moved inside the system, deeper, faster, smarter than anything I’d faced.
“Veronica!” Vordon’s voice cut through the chaos. Sharp. Terrified. His eyes locked on mine, searching, demanding. I could feel the weight of his trust, and the pull of my own jealousy. He feared me failing, but also feared losing control, letting me take the lead.
I swallowed hard, fists clenching the edge of the console. Pride flared. I can fix this. I must. The screens pulsed violently. Tyrus’s green glow dominated them, his smirk stretching across every monitor like a predator savoring the hunt.
“You really thought you could outrun me?” his voice slithered through the room, calm, delib
