Total panic ensued.

The basement workshop was a cacophony of blaring sirens, pulsing red emergency lights, and the hysterical shrieks of Serena Fox. The air tasted of ozone and pulverized metal from the diamond saw, thick and suffocating in the enclosed space.

"We're going to die! We're going to

The heavy steel door hissed open wider. Victor Sterling stood in the doorway, flanked by security, his eyes fixed on the damaged cylinder.

For a moment, the only sound in the basement workshop was the erratic, shallow breathing of Julian Thorne and the high-pitched whine of the ventilation system

The name hung in the damp basement air, echoing louder than the sirens that had just been silenced by the tactical team.

*Master Aurelia.*

Julian let out a sharp, breathless sound that was halfway between a laugh and a choke. He stared at Victor, then at me, his face twisting into a grotesque mas