The lab doors slammed shut before I could even move. Sparks ricocheted off the steel floor, red lights slicing through the smoke like knives. My chest tightened. The monitors glitched, and Tyrus’s presence pressed in from every line of code, every flicker of the system. Fear twisted with pride, jealousy simmering beneath my ribs. I couldn’t falter, not now.
Vordon’s hand squeezed mine. His blue eyes were sharp, taut with tension. “Veronica. What’s happening?” His voice carried a mix of disbelief and trust, and for a moment, it stunned me. He trusts me in the middle of this chaos. My stomach twisted sharply, and I wanted to tell him I needed him, not just here, but inside this fight with me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, fingers trembling above the console. The system pulsed, alive, teasing
