The cracked screens in the walls flickered again. One sparked. Another blinked out. Their reflections fell jagged across the group—each shape cast in sharp fragments.
Kikaru hadn't moved, but the way she watched him now had changed.
Faye's hands shook at her sides, her Ikona hovering closer than before.
Tidwell gripped his knife hard enough that his knuckles had gone pale.
Paul's weight stayed back, but his eyes kept scanning the room.
Junjio stood frozen—shaking, but upright.
Wes stayed still, watching everything, saying nothing.
The pod's door remained open. The corridor beyond stretched into dark. Pipes lined the walls, still dry, still polished. Sensors tracked overhead in quiet intervals. The chaos from B Block hadn't crept closer—but it hadn't gone far.
Vardency's night waited outside.
Elias stepped forward.
