The world seemed to tilt.
Daniel stood utterly still, staring at Adrian as the echo of those words sank into him like ice.
Prototype One isn’t coming.
He’s already here.
Natalie’s heartbeat hammered so loudly she felt it in her throat. She grabbed Daniel’s arm instinctively, pulling him a little behind her, even though the danger wasn’t something she could touch or shoot or outrun.
“Adrian,” she said slowly, “you need to explain. Now.”
The wind whipped through the shattered street, carrying dust and falling ash. Sirens wailed faintly in the distance, but the world around them felt muted—like they had stepped into a different kind of silence.
Adrian didn’t look away from Daniel.
“Do you remember,” he asked quietly, “what the hologram said?
Prototype One must never awaken.”
Daniel’
