43. Whispers Beneath the Code 

Aeron hadn't moved since the nightmare ended.

He sat in the Wraith's med bay, eyes fixed on nothing, body trembling like a string pulled too tight. Sweat rolled down his temple, yet he seemed cold, so cold Elara could feel it even from the doorway.

"He's not fully awake," Nova muttered, pacing at the edge of the room. "Whatever they did to him… it's still in there."

"He's fighting it," Elara said.

Valen leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed. "Or trying to figure out whether to fight it."

Damien stood at the console, running scans. "He's got neural implants I've never seen before. Alien, possibly Replicant-Architect tech. And they're activating."

"Activating?" Nova spun around. "As in he's about to turn into a Replicant bomb?"

"No," Damien said slowly, narrowing his eyes at the screen. "Worse. They're trying to connect to him. Like a remote access protocol."

Elara's gut twisted. "How long before they succeed?"