The Flames Remember

n narrative,

the old motel, Mira watched headlights ribbon along the Han River Expressway. Somewhere beyond those

eone else's skin. Beneath the black fabric, the chip rested against her chest, taped

suit that made him look like every dangerous man who'd ever walked into a boardroom wit

he answered. N

tching every colour of the signs outside. Mira watched the streets glide by-cof

tower, Evan turned to her. "Remember: we're guests to

meone reco

You died fi

htened. "Li

The doorman bowed as if nothing bene

ays of champagne. Every laugh sounded rehearsed. Mira's eyes swept the room, cataloguing faces-the socialites, the investors, the governme

face in the files Daniel tried to era

stay calm. "We need access to the control wing," he murmured. "There's a p

bait a

ing lik

the art displayed along the hall: installations of mirrored glass, fractured panels reflecting the guests

flames lick across the re

d. Evan steadied h

," sh

an took two glasses, handed her one. "

his glass. "

y d

he mezzanine. Evan pressed his thumb against a discreet scanner. Nothing. Mira leaned c

one and new money. "Level B-3

Mira studied his reflection in the mirrored walls. He looked

if we're caugh

won'

if we

'll imp

d. "You always we

behind glass partitions; streams of data flowed across wall screens. At th

card. "Five minutes," he sai

bracelet. Code unfurled across the monitor-strings of data, images, names.

ail blinked: F

clic

ng as she poured accelerant across the floor. Evan burst through the door in the footage, shouting her name. She turned,

struck

een wen

hoed faintly from the speakers, mergin

whispered, "Now

was unreadable-sorrow, gu

he said. "She was tryin

once, twice, then settled into a steady pulse.

d her wri

iling. Mira's heels slipped on the polished floor; Evan yanked her upright

ered it?"

y. "He's been one step

spun red and white. Evan shoved a card into the igniti

amp behind them. The car screeched forw

va

ld

shield as they shot into the street. Mira looked back-the tower rising behin

the data?"

d the brace

we still hav

their reflections in the window-hers pale, eyes burning; his

ough traffic before Evan forced it onto a service road that ran beneath the ri

e going?" Mi

need to see what's on that dri

concrete, no cameras-and killed the engine.

, clutching the bracelet that hid the chi

saw the video. Lina st

Mira said. "That does

d it to destroy Red Room

very record call

seong writes

ssed above them. When the noise faded, Mira crouched beside the sedan, pried open the bracelet, and conn

rs. The deeper they went, the uglier it became: numbers assigned i

peared: "GlassBr

hat wasn't in th

ure suspended between two towers, composed entirely of

ext at the

: MOBILE INTERFACE

urmured. "They built a syste

rdened. "And they're

p sharply. "

nnects the east and west wings. If they activat

f donors, politicians, students-none

ans. Once we go back in, we're enemies of

lk out," she said

credulous laugh. "Y

tly. "At least the part th

ne. By the time they reached the sub-basement, the gala had resumed overhead, unaware of the

er shoes left wet prints on the steps; her

ereal-a ribbon of light, guests drifting across it with glasses of champagne. Mira could already hear it, faint

ady started,"

far end of the bridge. A man stood there in a

gers dancing over a tablet. The bri

Evan h

noticed them, mesmerized by the crimson glow rippling through the floor. A woman laughed t

d: Lina's hands on piano keys, fire reflected in her tears, Evan shouting her na

erself forwa

d, then amusement. "Miss Lee

lling them

nly rewires memory pathways. They won't e

his gun. "Sh

on't shoot me, Evan.

t the console. Sparks erupted; lights flickered. Guests scr

aniel grabbed her wrist. "You think y

ce free, and hurled it over the railing. It shattered

er-webbing outward. Daniel staggered back,

e atrium. Alarms blared. Mira lost her footing-Evan caught her arm

" he s

h the bridge. Mira hit the far platform hard, air knoc

ow him, the atrium blazed with fire from ruptured transformers. He looked up at her, fa

ave way and he f

to her feet. "W

ergency lights spun across every surface. Together they ran throug

nd them, the upper floors of the tower glowed

g the street below for an escape rout

aser dot bloome

eath caug

hot c

through his suit. Another shot shattered the r

collapsed. Blood soak

ed. "You have

t leavi

her layer on the chip. Find the server-they call it

embled. Evan pushed her towa

d ran, the sound of bullets

k. Evan lay motionless against the railing, city l

river glowe

et, tears mixing with rain. "I'll f

ke as the tower's alarms merge