Nights in Velmora City were never truly silent, but tonight the metropolis felt as though it were choking under a shroud of unnatural quiet. The freezing wind cut through the concrete canyons with a predatory hiss, driving the last of the human commuters into the sanctuary of their homes.
Even from inside her windowless holding room, Alera could feel the atmospheric pressure rattling the reinforced glass like a living entity demanding entry.
She sat motionless in the leather chair, her unblinking eyes fixed on the reflective surface of the mahogany table. Ever since her spine-chilling conversation with Selene, her intellect had been a battleground of frantic thoughts.
To see the world for what it really is.
The Beta’s words echoed endlessly inside her skull, mutating into a psychologi
