The moment Elias’s last words faded through the speakers, the entire observation chamber seemed to constrict around Finn like a breathing metallic creature waiting for his surrender, tightening its grip with every throb of energy pulsing through the reinforced floor beneath his feet.Nadia jerked against her restraints, eyes brimming with panic, sensing the direction Elias’s intentions were moving, because every syllable he chose carried a lethal undertone that suggested he had prepared for this confrontation long before Finn even learned the truth about his existence.Henry lifted his head despite the pain crushing his abdomen, his gaze locked on Finn with desperation, silently begging him not to make a choice that would cost his humanity, even though they all knew the decision had already been placed cruelly into motion.Shawn stepped forward, standing beneath the massive hovering screen with a smirk carved into his face, watching Finn with greedy anticipation as if he were witnessi

The instant the neural-link device descended toward Finn’s head, the entire chamber shuddered violently as alarms erupted through the facility, blaring with a pitch so sharp it felt like needles slicing through the air, signaling a breach far more severe than any previous intrusion.Rowan screamed through the comms with unrestrained panic, his voice distorted by static as though even the signal struggled to survive the chaos. “Finn, the facility just overloaded! Multiple security layers collapsed at once. Someone triggered the failsafe, and LUXON is diverting every unit to your location right now!”Elias stiffened on the screen, fury flashing across his expression for the first time, because the orchestrated calm he always carried cracked under the realization that something he had not predicted was unfolding directly under his control.Shawn reacted faster than anyone, spinning around with predatory instinct as the chamber lights flickered violently, casting shadows that twisted acro