Maya looked at Riley. Riley nodded once—short, sharp. Maya stepped forward and pressed her hand to the cold, silver plate. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, a voice that sounded exactly like the one Arkan had projected moments ago—but older, feminine, and weary—whispered through the intercom.
"Genetic Signature... Recognized. Subject: Elena Sato... Access Denied."
Maya froze. "Elena Sato? That... that’s my mother's name. She was a research nurse. She disappeared twenty years ago... they told me it was a car accident."
A second voice, male this time, followed. "Access Secondary Signature... Subjek 0.1 detected. Clearance... Confirmed. Welcome back, Caretaker."
The vault door hissed, steam venting from the edges as it began to swing open. Zara, Luna, and Maya backed away in fear.
