The moment the heavy steel door slammed shut below, Orion's eyes snapped open like a predator sensing danger. The stale recycled air shifted—not within her, but around her, rippling with a low hum, a dark pulse in the silence.
Her breath hitched. A tremor ran through her spine. She wasn't alone.
"They found him," she whispered, voice barely audible, but it felt like the words shattered the stillness.
Lucy tightened her grip on her weapon, fingers digging into the cold metal. Her jaw clenched, eyes sharp. "Who? Jensen?"
"No," Orion said, voice steady though her heart threatened to betray her. She pushed herself up, joints cracking in protest. "The one controlling him."
Static hissed through the comms, Layla's voice coming in ragged and clipped, filled with urgency. "They locked us out. Sublevel's been sealed tight. Cole's holding the line with ten active hosts, but Jensen… he's not even Jensen anymore."
