Zero and Grohanva stood before a black, oddly contoured vessel that hovered inches above the desert floor, its surface smooth beneath the fading wash of moonlight. It was not much larger than a sedan, yet its presence made the air feel heavier, as though even the wind hesitated to pass too close.
Zero had left the bunker without a word.
He had not spoken to the women. Not to Aya. Not to Mei. And certainly not to Elara.
There were no explanations to give that would not turn into arguments. He knew that if he had looked at Elara for too long, if he had seen the fear behind her strength, she would have tried to stop him. Not for herself, but for the father of her unborn child.
So he chose silence.
Anika had opened the bunker gate quietly. Her fingers lingered on the control panel before
