Elara's POV
The human camp was a sterile island of technology at the edge of our own transformed wilderness. Tents hummed with loud generators. Screens displayed data. The air smelled of anxiety and coffee.
We met in the largest tent, a makeshift command center. On one side was Colonel Hayes with two of his scientists, and the man in the dark suit, who was introduced as Dr. Alistair Finch, a "special advisor" from a joint task force on "emerging phenomena." On our side was Lucian, me, Selene for her ancient wisdom, and Jethro for his bluntness.
Finch did most of the talking. He was intelligent, polite and his eyes missed nothing. They lingered on our glowing bond, on the faint silver scars some of us now bore and on Selene's ageless features.
"The energy surge was off the charts," Fi
