The hum of servers filled the room like a slow heartbeat.

Rows of black towers blinked with soft blue lights, casting a cold glow over the glass-walled control hub. From the outside, the building looked like any other customs data center — but inside, it was Doran’s nerve grid.

She stood in front of the console, jacket draped over the chair, eyes locked on the monitor. Lines of encrypted code scrolled upward in pale green text.

> ACCESS DENIED

Encryption layer: 3 of 4.

Origin: V. ...