The Search for Cassandra

Ethan didn't waste time. Cassandra Voss was the key—if she had survived for this long, she had information they needed. More than that, if someone inside the Time Loop Bank had started searching for her, it meant they were close. Too close.

Lyra pulled up the most recent access logs, scanning through encrypted data streams. "The trace came from a secured terminal. High clearance. Whoever's looking for her isn't a low-level operative."

Ethan's voice was steady. "Can you tell where they were searching from?"

The man at the terminal—still unnamed, still holding more answers than he was willing to give—typed fast. A map flickered onto the screen. A red marker pulsed over a centralized data vault inside the Time Loop Bank's corporate sector.

Lyra let out a breath. "That's deep. Even if we had a direct entry point, we'd need level-five clearance just to get through the front systems."

Ethan's jaw tightened. "Then we go around the front."

The man didn't react. "You're talking about breaching one of the most secure data centers in existence."

Ethan met his gaze. "Yes."

Lyra folded her arms. "Even if we get in, we don't know what we're looking for."

Ethan's pulse was steady. "We're looking for whatever Cassandra left behind."

The man exhaled. "There's another way."

Ethan waited.

The man pulled up another screen, overlaying the data with a secondary map. "Before she disappeared, Cassandra sent one final transmission. It was never decrypted, never traced back to her. But the signal bounced from three different locations before vanishing."

Lyra's brow furrowed. "And one of those locations is inside the data vault."

The man nodded. "Whatever she left behind, it's still there."

Ethan didn't hesitate. "Then we retrieve it."

The man studied him for a long moment. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I can get you in."

Lyra glanced at Ethan. "You really think this is worth it?"

Ethan's voice didn't waver. "If she survived, she knows why I'm still alive. She knows what Project Requiem really is." He stepped away from the terminal, rolling his shoulders. "And if we don't get to her first, she'll be gone. Just like the rest."

Lyra exhaled, then nodded. "Then let's move."

The man turned back to the console, fingers flying over the keys. "I'll get you inside. But once you're in, you're on your own."

Ethan smirked. "Wouldn't have it any other way."