53. Enemy Within

The emergency lighting bled red across the estate's white walls, a haunting glow that made every room feel like a warning. The hum of the backup generator thrummed through the floorboards, uneven and strained.

Elara and Aeron emerged from the narrow hallway, breaths still ragged from their kiss, hearts still caught between defiance and dread.

But there was no time to linger.

"We need to regroup," Aeron said, voice taut, jaw clenched. "Kael won't just vanish. He's inside this house and he's already winning."

Elara nodded, but her eyes flicked back the way they came. "Did he see us?"

Aeron didn't answer.

They found Nova and Damien barricading the control room with heavy panels ripped from the basement vault.

"East corridor's sealed," Damien reported. "But something's jamming our long-range comms. We can't reach out."

"Kael doesn't need to breach the walls," Nova muttered. "He is the breach."