CHAPTER 31Sirens blared faintly in the background, echoing through the dark, pulsing corridors of the Helix facility. The entire system was still reeling from the blackout shockwave Celeste had unleashed. Red emergency lights flickered back to life, casting jagged shadows across the floor."We have to move," Rowan said, clutching his side as the group began to run. Sparks sizzled from overhead conduits. He could feel his internal systems glitching vision flickering, telemetry lagging."Raven’s gone," Celeste said, glancing behind them. "She escaped in the chaos.""Good," Rowan muttered, staggering. "Because I wasn’t sure I could… fight her."“But we have to go before they come back”They reached a sealed corridor door. Aria’s override hadn’t reached this far. Celeste raised her hand, and with a hum of energy, the door’s lock fizzled and popped.>>>>>Smoke curled into the night sky as the remains of Helix HQ crumbled behind them.Rowan staggered, one arm clutching Celeste, the other

CHAPTER 33 – FaultlinesRowan sat alone in his command chamber, the room dimly lit by flickering system holograms. The hum of idle machinery underscored the silence like a ticking bomb. His eyes flicked to the console as he initiated yet another twin sync attempt. ‘[‘System Alert: TWIN LINK — DISCONNECTED. CONNECTION FAILED.]’He slammed his palm against the console. “Damn it!”He stood abruptly, the chair rolling back. “Where the hell are you, Raven?” he muttered under his breath, tension crackling in every movement.He moved swiftly down the corridor to Raven’s quarters. The door hissed open. The room was empty. Her bed was neatly made, the lights dimmed. No signs of a struggle. No sign of her.Just then, Conrad appeared at the doorway, his face grim. “She left hours ago. One of the guards said she needed air,” he said hesitantly. “She didn’t log her destination.”Rowan’s expression darkened like a storm cloud. “And no one thought to stop her?”“I’m sorry, sir. I—I should have be