Claire sat up, her head pounding as she took in her surroundings. The stark, featureless room felt oppressive, its smooth walls devoid of any seams or markings. A faint, sterile light emanated from nowhere and everywhere at once.
“Where am I?” she demanded, her voice hoarse but steady.
“Somewhere safe,” the disembodied voice replied, calm and calculated. “For now.”
The voice seemed to come from all around her, giving no hint of its source. Claire swung her legs off the metal slab she’d been lying on, her bare feet touching the cold, polished floor.
“What do you want from me?” she asked, scanning the room for any exits.
“Answers,” the voice said. “But first, I have questions of my own.”
A section of the wall shimmered and dissolved, revealing a glass pane. Beyond it stood Ethan and Le
