OUR LITTLE SECRET

as a mess of shad

les onto the table. Sweat clung to his collar, streaks of bloo

ped tightly in gauze, the faint scent of

y's deepest archive, unleashed a siren-level breach alarm, and now have the names of over two dozen c

her a look

snorted. "Fan

didn't

g Velgrave buried for a reason. This isn't just about them hiding th

her side. "The

They tried to. Bu

er, brushing a strand of

e to carry all

herself. "Then start carrying your wei

you two flirt any ha

n closer. "Th

. Slow. Not rushed, not

ment, the war

, bleeding and hunted...

weren't

amed in cod

mories she di

erile labs. A hand reaching for hers,

gasping, p

beside her. "

er around her. "They're not dreams.

erred i

ybe un

each breath. "You think one of the

them was me. O

a grim expression. "Security drones just swept the North

d. "Then we

d pack her files, t

wen

blac

t red - a signal only used when Velgrav

ng - was already ins

ren't here

e in s

oots

sha

pre

ffen and your instincts scream run

jec

Academy combat uniform - the one re

r veins, pulsing faintly benea

No whites. No p

anical. "You are not authorized to carry H

e. "I wasn't aware my ow

rson. You are a c

e one more step, and I'll dism

07 didn'

n. Illo

parks dancing. "Oh, honey.

exploded

t predictive accuracy. Carl charged, disrupting the magnetic field

elia sta

when 07 blinked in front of h

es. Not his lo

ied him

t cut from strings, gas

Ophelia stood over

lure. One of the first. They programmed him to kill us. A

er arm. "Then

nto the maze of secrets

eath the Observatory w

irrored wall, one that resp

ing like the re

... be

ard

ot na

th memory echoes, small illusions dancing in the

lace?" Lilith a

is is where they stored the memory imprints of failed

It blinked, showing a

raveyard," h

id. "It's proof.

d toward

omeone still

d behind a wall o

a W

a's br

t alive

ensors flickered erratically. His b

. "He's been in a loop. Dr

d. "Can we

forward, laid a

her eyes - and

his

t real. The waves were made of

, eyes wide

htened. "I'm h

"They told me

ld me yo

urned h

back f

bbed h

t, she knew they

n't just about s

about v

eneath Velgrave. But when Ezra op

rp, precise, familiar. Like a blade Oph

rent," he said,

whispered, her hand s

lith, then back to the glowing

years," Op

like gravity. "Then I have questions. Sta

"She didn't just live.

e of gratitude and caution. "We don't

ready coming. Surveillance drones just

knuckles. "Good

ered again. Sire

brother. "You ready to

aid. "I just forgot who

s walked out - side by side - to