The central chamber pulsed with energy. Every monitor, every cable, every flicker of light amplified the tension in the room. Sparks from the stronghold’s failing defenses hissed and smoldered, the faint scent of burnt metal lingering like a warning. Justina’s heart raced in tandem with the distant storm outside, each beat a drum signaling confrontation, desire, and inevitability.

Carson moved beside her, taut and alert, his hand brushing hers, a grounding touch, a silent tether amid the ...