The old Chimera facility loomed out of the darkness like a wound in the mountain.
Sasha stood at the edge of the tree line, her people fanned out behind her. The building was exactly as she remembered from her mother's rescue—concrete and steel, half-swallowed by moss and time. But now lights blazed from its windows. Machinery hummed deep within. And the wards that had once protected it lay shattered, replaced by something newer. Something darker.
"I thought this place was abandoned," Maya whispered.
"So did everyone." Luc's voice was grim. "Whoever reactivated it knew exactly what they were doing. The new wards are strong. Military-grade, maybe."
"Government?" Rhys asked.
"Possibly. Or someone with government connections." Sasha's jaw tightened. "Doesn't matter. We're going in."
The
