The Obsidian Clause
"Marcus is taking everything Julian protected. Once that upload hits 100%, he won't need the house anymore. He’ll burn it down with us inside and walk away with the keys to the world’s secrets. He'll be untouchable."
"Then stop him," Silas said. He pointed to a small, isolated terminal near the pillar. "The Blackwood key. It’s the only thing that can bypass the master lock. It’s the original code."
Iris ran to the terminal. Her fingers flew across the glass, her mind racing. "I can stop the upload," she said, her heart hammering. "But the system is too fast. Every time I block a port, Marcus opens another one. He’s inside the code, Silas! He’s fighting me in real-time from the rooftop!"