The white room smells of clean metal and cold air.I sit up on the smooth metal table, rubbing my eyes against the harsh light. The dirt from the River City slums is completely gone. My clothes are not my old worn-out jacket anymore, but a plain gray uniform made of soft cotton. My hands are clean. The purple light that burned under my skin on the glass tower is entirely missing.The man in the white coat stands a few feet away, looking down at his heavy metal tablet. He does not look like a cruel council head or a greedy rebel leader. He looks like a scientist doing a normal day of work.Where is Lyra? I ask, my voice sounding rough in the quiet room.The doctor looks up, tapping the screen with his finger. Subject Lyra Vance is in the recovery wing, Kian. Her memory reset is running right now. Just like yours. My chest tightens. I swing my legs over the side of the metal table and stand up, keeping my balance even though my head feels heavy and strange.What are you talking about? I

The roar of the wind stops the second I step past the threshold.I stand on a high metal balcony overlooking a massive, glowing city that stretches as far as my eyes can see. This place looks nothing like the dirty streets of River City. Towering glass skyscrapers pierce a purple sky, and bright neon ships fly between buildings on invisible highways. Alarms blare in the distance, and red warning lights pulse against the walls."Welcome to Phase Two, subject Kian," a flat, mechanical voice echoes from speakers mounted above the door. "Your survival timer has begun. You have twelve hours to reach the central sector before the sector locks down permanently."I look down at my wrist. A bright red number glows on my skin: 11:59:59. It counts down second by second."Kian!"I spin around at the sound of that familiar voice.Lyra stands on a lower platform across a wide gap, wearing the same gray uniform as me. Her hair is messy, and her eyes are wide with panic. She looks around frantically,