“No,” I whispered.
The word slipped out before I could stop it.
My teacher’s face filled the monitor, calm and confident, like nothing had changed. Ten years of silence, ten years of believing he was dead, and now he stood there like the architect of everything collapsing around us.
Vordon’s fingers tightened around my arm. “You know him,” he said quietly.
It wasn’t a question.
Fear twisted inside me, but pride fought it back. I refused to look weak in front of Marcus or Dante.
“Yes,” I answered.
Marcus stared at the screen with open disbelief. “You’re serious? That fossil is the one who built the foundation for Phase Three?”
The man on the monitor smiled slightly, as Marcus had just proven a point. “Still impulsive,” he said calmly. “Some habits never change.”
Marcus froze.
“How
