جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

Scarlett:PovThe machine screamed.Blue light cracked across the digital chamber like lightning.Scarlett's breath hitched.No.Not Dominic.Not him.Evelyn's laugh echoed through the corridor, cold and victorious."If not you…"Her voice curled through the system like smoke."…then him."Scarlett's chest tightened painfully. "No!"She rushed toward the crystal again, but the floor beneath her split apart into glowing lines of code.A barrier rose between her and the root core.Transparent.Shimmering.Unbreakable.On the other side, the crystal pulsed faster.Scarlett slammed both palms against it. "Stop!"The barrier sent a violent shock through her hands.She gasped and stumbled back.The machine was protecting the transfer.Protecting Dominic.No.No, no, no.In the real world, Dominic's body jerked violently beside the neural chair.His eyes widened.Scarlett could hear his voice through the fading connection. "Victor!"Then static.Victor's face darkened as the monitors flashed r

Scarlett:PovThe black crystal pulsed in the center of the collapsing room.Dark.Alive.Like a heart made from pain.Scarlett stood frozen for one terrible second.Evelyn's final warning echoed through the falling walls.If you break it… you may never find your way back.Her breath caught.The white room around them was cracking apart, pieces of memory shattering into streams of blue light.The younger Dominic was gone.Freed.Only Scarlett and the present Dominic remained inside the collapsing machine.His eyes locked onto hers. "Scarlett."His voice was low.Careful.As if he already knew what she was thinking.Her heart pounded.If this crystal was the master command, then destroying it would sever the control system completely.It would free Dominic.It would stop the transfer.It would end Project Dawn.But at what cost?Her way back.Her life.Her future.A thousand thoughts crashed through her mind.Then Dominic stepped closer. "You can't do this."Her breath trembled. "Why?"H

Scarlett: POV The morning light felt different. Warmer. Softer. Real. Scarlett sat up slowly in the infirmary bed, blinking as sunlight spilled through the large windows. For a moment, everything was quiet. No alarms. No flashing screens. No voices in her head. Just the faint sound of birds outside and the soft hum of the air conditioner. Her chest rose in a slow breath. She was back. Really back. Her body still ached from the neural shock. Every muscle felt heavy. But she was alive. And for the first time in what felt like forever, the silence around her didn't feel dangerous. It felt peaceful. Then she turned her head. Dominic was there. Asleep in the chair beside her bed. One hand still loosely wrapped around hers. Her heart softened instantly. He had stayed. Of course he had. The memory of his words in the transition layer came rushing back. I love you, Scarlett. Warmth spread through her chest. A small smile touched her lips. As if sensing her moveme

Scarlett: PovThe underground chamber went silent.So silent Scarlett could hear her own heartbeat.Alexander stood at the foot of the stairs, his dark coat brushing lightly against the stone floor.His face was calm.Too calm.The same face that had once offered her comfort.The same eyes that had looked at her with concern.Now they felt different.Cold.Hidden.Dangerous.Scarlett stared at him, disbelief twisting painfully inside her chest.No.This couldn't be real.Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "Alexander…"He gave her a faint smile.Soft.Almost sad."I was hoping you'd understand."The words hit like a slap.Understand?After everything?Dominic stepped slightly in front of Scarlett.Protective.His voice dropped into something sharp and dangerous. "You need to leave."Alexander's expression didn't change. "I'm afraid I can't do that."His eyes moved past Dominic.Straight to Scarlett."To be honest, Scarlett, you were always the key."Her blood ran cold.Not agai

Scarlett:PovAlexander's grip tightened around her wrist.The pain was immediate and sharp, shooting all the way up to her shoulder, but Scarlett kept her face still. She had learned long ago not to give pain away. In this world, showing hurt was the same as showing surrender, and she had not come this far to surrender now.His face was close. Too close. The composed, almost gentle mask she had once mistaken for kindness had fallen away entirely, and what lived beneath it was something she recognized with cold clarity, the same hunger she had seen in Evelyn, the same absolute certainty that power was not just something to be wanted but something to be owned.Behind him, the main screen pulsed in cold blue light.CITY GRID SYNCHRONIZATION 83%Her heart hammered against her ribs.No.Not again.Not another city. Not more lives being bent into instruments by someone who believed the world existed to serve their ambition.Dominic's voice cut through the room like something forged from ang