The ascent felt like climbing out of a throat. Every time we took a step up the emergency stairs of the Cradle, the air grew thinner, colder, and more metallic. Behind us, the shouts of Thorne’s security team echoed through the shafts, but they weren't chasing us with the frantic desperation of a monster. They were moving with the calm, terrifying patience of a gardener pulling weeds.
"Leo, stop," Nix gasped, clutching her side as we reached the final landing before the surface hatch. Her face was deathly pale under the flickering blue emergency lights. "My heart... it’s doing that thing again. Like it’s skipping frames."
I grabbed her shoulders, my own hands shaking. "It’s not skipping frames, Nix. It’s a real heart. It’s just tired. We’re all tired."
I looked at the white lightning sc
