~Caleb~
The walk to the secure room felt endless. With each step, memories of Elara flashed through my mind—her laughter, her determination, the way she'd looked at me when she first accepted what we were to each other. Had it all been a lie? A long game to gain access to Lunaris research, to our pack protocols?
The secure room was already filling when I arrived—Maya, Dr. Chen, the security leads, key researchers. Their conversations died as I entered. You could practically feel the weight of the tension as I took the head seat.
"I assume you've all seen the press conference," I stated, no need for pleasantries.
Maya nodded. "Is it really her? Could it be some kind of deep fake?"
"It's her," I confirmed. "The Algorithm is visible if you know what to look for."
"She must be under dure
