The safe house was a forgotten relic in the city's oldest district—walls cracked, windows barred, but secure enough to hide secrets.
Selene, Calder, Rafe, and Marrow slipped inside, each carrying the weight of the night's chase. The air was thick with tension and the faint scent of dust and faded memories.
Lina waited in the center room, a bundle of nerves and determination. Her eyes met Selene's as soon as the door closed.
"I found files," Lina said, voice trembling but steady. "Files about Harrow, the Orchid Program, and... us."
Selene gestured for her to continue.
"They're connected," Lina explained, spreading documents across a battered table. "Our families, our pasts—it's all intertwined. The Orchid Program was built not just to create assassins, but to control bloodlines. They experimented with us."
Rafe's jaw clenched. "So, the reason you were targeted was more personal than political?"
Lina nodded. "And Selene... there's more. The woman who raised me—my 'mother'—she was part of the program. I'm not who I thought I was."
Silence settled.
Marrow finally spoke, voice low. "This changes everything."
Selene's gaze hardened. "It means the fight isn't just for survival. It's for who we are."
Calder rubbed his temples. "We have to hit back—expose Harrow before they erase us all."
Selene stood, eyes blazing with resolve. "Then we make our move. Tonight."