The cold detention ward inside the compromised military facility felt increasingly like a pressurized chamber ready to rupture. In the center of the damp room, the harsh white light from the overhead security fixture beat down relentlessly on Elsa, highlighting the streaks of dust on her silver corporate uniform. Delon stood entirely motionless near the heavy iron threshold, his breathing shallow as his chest plate pulsed with an uneven, anxious blue light. Erica stepped up directly to his side, her boots striking the concrete floor with an intentional loudness that broke the humming silence of the room.
"You should look at yourself, Delon," Elsa began, her voice sharp and dripping with absolute venom as she strained against the heavy magnetic constraints behind her back. "You threw awa
