[Riven's POV]
Time stretched like molten glass as Sarah's arrow remained trained on his heart.
This is it, he thought, watching the tremor in her enhanced grip grow more pronounced. Either she breaks free of whatever they did to her, or Elena and I die in this maintenance corridor.
The sound of approaching security teams echoed from multiple directions, their coordinated movement patterns suggesting they had the entire area surrounded.
But Riven kept his eyes locked on Sarah's face, searching for any sign of the person he'd once known.
Come on, Sarah. I saw you fighting it. I know you're still in there somewhere. He said calmly to her, but his face was anything but calm.
Her bow remained steady, but something was wrong with her stance.
The mechanical precision was wavering, replaced by subtle micro-expressions that suggested internal conflict.
"Target acquisition confirmed," Sarah said, but her voice lacked the flat certainty from before. "Preparing to... to..."
