Obsidian Veil

came too

y remembered f

, Joseph's words, the reflection in the glass. Even now, standing in front of

fe

ing sh

ren

at the office, she had

re re

m n

rolled t

r moved through it differently today. Slower. More del

just seei

readin

ma'am," her ass

r replied. "Any up

w. Also..." she hesitated slightly, "there's been

mid-step. "Wha

ier this morning. Said it

brows lifte

d hi

er, Chidera stepp

a

pos

alw

Jennifer asked, already p

, ma

g his tablet on her desk

scanned t

fro

rst g

ing loo

tions

consi

ng ob

up. "What a

dn't rush

pped lightly o

t... but the formula behind it isn't

eyes narrow

lean

ed c

d

sa

as s

t inv

ouldn't immediately raise concern, but over

across the keyboard, pul

par

-chec

picked u

she murmured u

ck slowly, stud

n't be there

hidera

check the

, ma

nd

ief

h

rt of the ori

le

ned her gaze

ar

cu

d you c

er eyes witho

tracking th

ans

iffer

?" she r

es

ncies we've been seeing they're not random. They foll

mind clicke

ancial

issin

ing incon

is is connect

ra said carefull

ied him for a

o arrogance

d to i

iet cer

me," s

minutes passed i

observations not dramatically

t built o

etail

sl

icture beg

t just D

just isola

omething

bt

ye

ibe

ned back, ex

changes

, ma

through her h

d, "then whoever is behind it isn

ng the system,

aze snapped

word

st

said the

tightene

bring this up ea

a hesi

said. "And I didn't want to

r nodde

made

st

e sure

es

esit

er fingers lightl

nki

ulat

"We proceed carefully. No b

odded. "U

king toward th

stretch

iv

edic

ure," she said quietly. "Every sy

urned

is manipulat

d it deeply," C

r held

ve a sm

act

silenc

h

said, "there's

aised a br

esit

sli

is tablet bac

le doc

der r

dn't looked at

I was cross-checking

frowned

ember

from ye

ly

was still actively

ut it?" s

omed in on

iar str

liar p

's breat

o

ossible," she

same subtl

ame p

th

years

she too

verythin

ind r

tern existe

is wasn

been

dd

it

era's voice p

nked, ground

sees this," s

, ma

d the fil

ughts s

rang

n't just

was l

sudd

ch bigger than s

" she sai

es

you report d

surprised

, ma

his gaze for a

h

did g

as s

it l

e firs

erceptible shift cr

pr

re

ing qu

ep

you," h

ned to

at th

h

wrong to question e

aised a br

hat a

small, n

n l

osed softly

d alone in he

ed slowly back

age still s

ing in the w

pressed

was," she

ed a new

ping everyt

this

arting from r

s goin

rs

e beg

pattern had a

wer wasn't a

behin

hone

anced

se

ogr

d at the messa

typed

han you

dots a

us

ppea

rep

frowned

h

een fli

t o

a spli

ared beneath the

he almost

he di

Now dig

mmed hard aga

se th

t touched

hat m

from he