---
Chapter 22: The Orphan’s Veil
The safehouse was quiet now—too quiet.
The aftermath of the Solace Haven escape still clung to the air like smoke. Aria lay unconscious on a cot in the corner, her body slowly detoxifying from the gas exposure. Gabriel administered IV fluids, his brow furrowed in concentration. Lucia paced near the boarded-up windows, casting glances at the entrance every few minutes. She hadn’t put her gun down since they’d returned.
Dante sat at the kitchen table with the girl—Prototype 17. Her pale hands were folded neatly on her lap, posture straight, like she was back in a laboratory evaluation. Her eyes, however, were another story—dark and far too wise for a child.
“I was told I didn’t have a name,” she said softly, breaking the silence. “They called me ‘Sevent
