Riven knew something was wrong long before the lab came into view. The vehicle hadn’t fully stopped before he stepped out. Smoke lingered faintly above the structure, drifting lazily into the pale afternoon sky as if what had happened inside were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. The doors hung open, no guards. He crossed the threshold slowly, then the smell hit him first. Gunpowder, burnt wiring and blood. The red emergency lights flickered overhead, casting everything in a pulse that felt too much like a dying heart. “Cassian,” he called once, voice low. No answer. He moved forward. The first body lay near the entrance to the main lab floor, one of his warriors, face turned toward the ceiling, eyes still open, chest unmoving. Riven crouched, pressing two fingers to the man’s throat out of reflex. Cold, his jaw tightened. He stood up and continued walking in. Three more lay scattered across the room positioned like they had formed a defensive arc. They had been a
Last Updated : 2026-02-18 Read more