The crack spiderwebbing across the reinforced glass of Zayn’s penthouse window was a stark testament to his fury. The System’s warning, stark and red, screamed in his mind: 'Chimera' protocol adaptation ongoing. Security levels deteriorating. Time to probable compromise: 72 hours. Vanessa's final, desperate gambit, a digital ghost lurking in the archives, was evolving, learning. And it was still focused on Aria.
Zayn gripped the edge of the desk, his knuckles white. He had neutralized Vanessa’s immediate threat, secured Aria’s new location, and even forged a tentative alliance with the Blackthorn commander. But this… this was a different beast entirely. A self-evolving weapon, unleashed by a dying enemy, now on a direct hunt for his sister.
"Thorne," Zayn’s voice was a low growl, each wo
