: The Game Without Code

The door hissed open with no announcement.

No guards. No command.

Just silence.

Lucas exchanged a glance with Ava.

He stepped forward first. Ava followed.

As they crossed the threshold, a low hum vibrated through the floor. Cold. Ancient. Like entering a server that hadn't rebooted in a decade.

The door closed behind them with a click so final it sounded like a trap cage situation.

Inside, it looked nothing like a military facility.

It looked like a vault repurposed by someone who thought games were morality.

A giant square room. Seamless metal floor. Four platforms. A massive display screen built into one wall—off for now. In the center: a console with two handpads.

One glowing red.

One blue.

Ava's bracer flickered once—

[SYSTEM ACCESS REVOKED – LOCAL SEAL ACTIVE][EMERGENCY SYNC LINK: OFFLINE]

Lucas's system buzzed the same alert.

No override.