MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
I said, the tears of lavender light falling onto the cold floor.
"I'm still here, Gianna," he said, his hand pressing against the glass. I matched his palm with mine. I felt nothing but the chill of the silica. "The Shield is just... under maintenance."
Architect, a latent data-packet has bypassed the primary firewalls, the Sovereign signaled. Origin: The Lane Archives. Timestamp: Seven days prior to Elena Lane’s death. Encryption level: Blood-Locked.
I stood up, my eyes flared a sharp, radiant purple. A "Blood-Lock" meant the data could only be opened by a direct descendant. My mother had left a ghost in the machine, a final whisper from the woman who had built this labyrinth of pain.