The city's pulse throbbed beneath the estate, but inside, the war room felt suspended, caught in a moment where past fractures threatened to splinter into full collapse. The fractures Aria and Dante had fought to contain now whispered louder, twisting shadows into new threats.
Aria stood by the data wall, eyes scanning streams of raw intelligence that streamed like blood through veins, some clean, some toxic. The parallel system was live, but early adoption was slow, hesitancy rampant.
Victor, worn but determined, approached, a tablet in hand. "We've got spikes in anomalies, new actors probing the edges of our defenses."
"Cassian's fingerprints?" Dante asked, stepping from the shadows.
Victor nodded. "No doubt. But there are others. Opportunists sensing weakness."
Aria's jaw tightened. "The architecture is a beacon, and a target."
