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

The brilliant, oceanic glow of the 'Tear of the Empress' bathed the grim, concrete walls of the basement workshop in an ethereal blue light. For a long, breathless moment, the only sound in the room was the hum of the ventilation system and the ragged, panicked breathing of Julian Thorne, who remain