The summons arrived in the form of a cold, synchronized notification on Zeta’s terminal. It was a sterile, unforgiving command: Report to Security Sub-level 4 for routine inquiry regarding the recent data breach. Zeta stared at the glowing text, his heart rate spiking for a single, involuntary moment. He forced himself to look away, turning his gaze toward the flickering light of the archive rows. He had anticipated this. With Miller gone, Vane had naturally turned his clinical attention toward the only other person in the immediate vicinity during the supposed breach.
Zeta stood up, his movements stiff and practiced, and walked toward the security elevator. The hallway was unnervingly quiet, the floor tiles polished to a mirror finish that seemed to track his every step. The air grew c
