21. The Scent of Consequence

Lyra's POV

The HR email arrived at 9:07 a.m.

> Subject: Update – Routine Wellness Evaluation

Revised Appointment: Friday, Next Week – 2:30 PM

Location: Virelux Wellness Affiliate – Avion Branch (Registered Clinic)

Note: Attendance required for Omega health compliance. Please bring updated records.

She reread it three times. Her stomach dipped.

Postponed. Not canceled.

They were giving her ten days. A courtesy disguised as policy. After that? She'd be handed off to a clinic tied to Virelux's own legal division. No hiding there. No loopholes. Just cold rooms and permanent records.

She minimized the screen. Closed the inbox. Her tea had gone cold again.

Talia appeared at her elbow like a shadow with caffeine. She slid a cup down, watched Lyra without speaking.

"They moved it," Lyra said quietly.

"How long?"

"Ten days. Then it's Avion."

Talia exhaled like someone weighing outcomes. "That's not a lot of time."

"I know."

"We'll think of something."

Lyra nodded. But she didn't feel reassured. Ten days felt like a fuse.

---

Cassian's POV

He didn't usually walk the lower floors before lunch. Today, he did.

Strategic had been too quiet. Theo had been cagey. And Lyra…

There was something wrong.

Her file hadn't flagged any disciplinary issues. Her output was still precise. But the last two meetings? Something off. Her rhythm was clipped. Her notes came slower. And her scent—

He turned the corner toward Ops just as she exited the archive room. A folder hugged tight to her chest. Her face was pale, eyes sharper than usual.

She didn't see him at first.

When she did, she froze.

Only a second. Then she moved again.

But he'd caught it. The pause. The flicker in her jaw.

And the scent. Veiled. Not artificial. But unsteady. Something clean, usually clinical, now shifted beneath the surface.

It was faint.

But not nothing.

He moved forward before he could second-guess it.

"Elmont," he said.

She turned, measured. "Sir?"

He gestured lightly to the folder. "Michael's?"

"Yes. Final comparisons for the efficiency audit."

Her voice didn't waver. Not quite.

He nodded. "Good. Your last revision, strong phrasing."

She blinked. "Thank you."

It hung there. Not silence, exactly. Something quieter. Like the space between decisions.

Then he said, softer, "You've been working late."

"Deadlines."

"Don't let them undo you."

She looked at him. Just for a moment. Like she wasn't sure if she'd misheard.

There was something in his face then. Not sharp. Not calculating. Just a crease between his brow that hadn't been there before. A flicker of weight behind the eyes, like he was filing something away for later. Like concern without a name.

Then she said, "Understood," and walked past him.

He didn't stop her.

But he turned to watch her go.

---

Lyra's POV

His voice had been low. Not cold. Not commanding.

Concern. That's what it was.

It rattled her more than it should have.

She made it to the stairwell before her knees softened. Sat on the landing a moment longer than she could afford.

Her hand drifted to her stomach.

Ten days.

She didn't know if that was enough time to disappear.

Or disappear is what she wants.

---

Theo's POV – Executive Wing

The report on his desk was simple. A list of flagged scent inconsistencies from cross-departmental audits.

Mostly junk. Masking errors. Overuse of synthetic layers.

One stood out.

Lyra Elmont – Strategic, Admin Subtier

> Recent fluctuations: +2.3 on base identifier threshold

Status: Low Alert

Not a red flag yet. But close.

He tapped the file once with his pen, then stood.

---

Talia's POV – Admin Breakroom

Lyra didn't notice her approach at first. She was staring at her planner, eyes vacant.

Talia sat down and slid a cookie across the table.

"You look like you're waiting for the ground to open."

Lyra didn't smile. "Just thinking."

"HR gave us a window. That means we have leverage."

Lyra glanced up. "You think they're giving me a chance?"

"No," Talia said. "They're giving you a trap. But at least now we know where it is."

Lyra exhaled. "It's getting harder to hide it."

Talia's voice softened. "Your scent?"

Lyra nodded. "And my body. The nausea's worse. I get dizzy if I stand too fast. I can't keep skipping meals forever."

"We fake it as long as we can. Then we pivot."

"And if they test me?"

"Then we fight."

Lyra stared at her. "You sound so sure."

"I'm not," Talia said. "But you need someone who is."

---

Cassian's POV – Executive Office

Theo entered quietly, dropped a folder on his desk. "Audit scent flags."

Cassian opened it.

His eyes landed on one name.

Elmont, Lyra.

He didn't react. Not visibly.

But something changed in his shoulders. A breath held.

He closed the file. "Thanks."

Theo didn't leave.

Cassian looked up. "Something else?"

Theo's tone was flat. "I think she's covering something."

Cassian didn't blink. "How certain are you?"

"Not certain. But the pattern. Odd hours, dropped appetite, late submissions that don't match her usual timeline. The scent fluctuations."

Cassian leaned back. "Keep me informed."

Theo hesitated. "If it escalates?"

Cassian's voice was low. "I'll handle it."