Selene’s POV“Control.”The word echoed through the network space like a quiet threat.Not loud.Not dramatic.But absolute.I held my ground, even as the digital landscape around us shifted subtly, like something vast was breathing beneath it.“You’re not controlling anything anymore,” I said.The silhouette didn’t react immediately.It stood there—still, composed—like it had all the time in the world.“That is where you are wrong.”A ripple passed through the network.Not an attack.Not corruption.Something else.I felt it brush against the edges of my awareness—like a question probing for an answer.Behind me, Dominic’s voice cut through faintly.“Selene, we’re detecting unusual signal activity. It’s not aggressive, but it’s spreading.”“I can feel it,” I murmured.Kane’s voice followed, sharper.“Pull her out if it escalates.”“Not yet,” I said quickly.The silhouette tilted its head again.“You trust them to protect you,” it said.“I trust them enough.”“Trust is inefficient.”“
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