The Kigamboni bridge felt longer than it ever had before. Under the violet glow, the asphalt looked like a river of oil, shimmering with the ghosts of a thousand deleted files. Nala could feel the eyes of the city on her not just the people, but the infrastructure itself. The streetlights flickered as she passed, a rhythmic greeting that felt like a bowing of heads.
"Nala, look," Leo whispered, pointing toward the center of the bridge.
The air was warping. A group of Sentinels the Architect’s elite security constructs stood blocking the path. They weren't human, and they weren't fully machines. They were jagged shells of translucent carbon, their inner cores glowing with a cold, sterile white light that fought against the violet haze.
"They aren't here to talk," Nala said, her hand tigh
