The elevator doors hissed open.A wave of cold air rushed out, thick with ozone and the sharp scent of burnt circuitry. The chamber before them was vast—circular, cathedral-like, with cables hanging like black vines from the ceiling. In the center, a single column of light pulsed faintly blue, stretching from the floor to the unseen heights above.Victor whistled under his breath. “This is it. The main neural nexus.”Emily stepped forward, rifle raised, eyes scanning the room. Every instinct screamed that this place was wrong—too still, too expectant. “Stay alert. If Liam’s still connected somewhere, this is where he’ll be.”Ethan’s boots echoed behind her as he joined her at the edge of the platform. “Hard to believe all this started with one experiment.”Riley brushed her fingers along a shattered console. “No. It started with one man who thought he could play god.”A low hum rippled through the air, and every console flickered to life at once. Blue light turned red. The floor tremb