The world went entirely silent, the rhythmic dripping of the faucet behind Chloe transforming into a distant, underwater roar. The shattered glass at her feet reflected the cold, blue indicator lights of the smart kitchen, a fractured mirror of the illusion she had been living in.
The hospital.
"Ethan, hold him," Julian’s voice sliced through the frozen air like a scalpel. The corporate composure he had worn like armor all day didn't just crack; it vanished entirely. He didn't look at the bleeding commander on the floor. His slate gray eyes slammed into Chloe, tracking the instant the blood drained from her face, leaving her a hollow, terrifying pale.
"Julian," Chloe choked out, her voice a fragile, broken thread as she stumbled forward, ignoring the sharp shards of glass biting into th
