The Null operative did not expect Lyra.
That was immediately obvious.
He bolted across the commons the moment Kael's eyes locked onto the band on his wrist. Chairs scraped. Students shouted. Someone dropped a tray. For a moment the entire academy cafeteria turned into a collision of bodies and noise.
Kael moved first.
He didn't shout or sprint blindly like most people would have. Instead, he moved with a controlled speed that looked almost casual cutting off the operative's path toward the side corridor.
The operative saw it too.
He veered sharply left.
Directly into Lyra.
Because Lyra, still standing in the middle of the milk spill she'd created, had chosen that exact moment to attempt standing up again.
She slipped.
Her foot slid out from under her.
Her arms flailed.
And she crashed directly into the operative's legs.
Hard.
The operative went down with a violent thud.
Lyra blinked from the floor.
"…Huh."
Kael stopped a few feet away.
Vesper arrived seconds later.
Valentina right behind her.
The entire commons had frozen.
Lyra slowly sat up, staring down at the stunned operative.
"Okay," she said thoughtfully. "That worked better than expected."
The operative tried to scramble up.
Kael stepped forward and pressed a hand down on his shoulder.
Density shifted through his palm—just enough weight to keep the man pinned.
The operative stopped moving immediately.
Aurelio arrived last, breath slightly uneven from the run.
He looked down at the scene.
Then at Lyra.
Then back at the operative.
"You tackled him."
Lyra lifted a finger.
"I slipped into him."
"That is not the same thing."
"It was extremely effective."
Security Arrives
Helix Academy security stormed the commons within seconds.
Halvorsen appeared behind them, clearly furious and completely unsurprised.
"I leave this building unsupervised for thirty minutes," he said dryly, "and someone infiltrates my cafeteria."
Two guards grabbed the operative and pulled him upright.
The metallic band on his wrist glowed faintly.
Halvorsen's eyes narrowed.
"Well," he muttered.
"That explains several things."
Lyra leaned toward Vesper and whispered,
"Did I save the day?"
"You slipped."
"Heroically."
Valentina pinched the bridge of her nose.
The Interrogation
The operative was taken immediately to a secured classroom that had been converted into a temporary holding room.
Lucian was contacted.
Orsini security arrived.
And suddenly the situation had escalated from "suspicious student" to "active infiltration."
The operative sat at the table with his hands restrained.
He was young.
Too young, Vesper thought.
Early twenties maybe.
Kael stood near the wall watching him with quiet intensity.
Aurelio leaned against the table.
"Name."
Silence.
Valentina stepped forward.
"You were monitoring Ronan."
Still silence.
Lyra raised her hand.
Everyone looked at her.
She pointed at the band on the man's wrist.
"Can I press the button?"
"No," Cassian said immediately.
The operative's eyes flicked toward her.
That tiny reaction was enough.
Kael stepped forward slowly.
"You're not here to attack anyone."
The operative's gaze shifted to him.
"You're here to observe."
Silence again.
Aurelio folded his arms.
"Selene sent you."
The operative's jaw tightened.
And that was answer enough.
Lyra whispered,
"Oooh."
The Message
Finally, the operative spoke.
His voice was calm.
"You're too late."
The room went quiet.
Aurelio leaned forward slightly.
"For what."
The operative smiled faintly.
"For the summit."
Vesper's stomach dropped.
Ronan had warned them the Hale meeting was tonight.
But this operative wasn't there to stop them.
He'd been watching.
Tracking.
Learning.
Kael's voice lowered.
"You're confirming Selene will be there."
The operative didn't answer directly.
Instead, he looked at Vesper.
"You're the one she's curious about."
Vesper held his gaze.
"Curious how."
"Your resonance signature."
Aurelio's hand tightened on the table edge.
"You're done speaking."
Security pulled the operative out.
But the damage was already done.
The message had landed.
Selene wasn't just attacking infrastructure anymore.
She was studying them.