The command center held its breath.
The hum of generators and holographic projectors pressed in from all sides, a low mechanical pulse that seemed to thrum in time with the unease coiling through the room. Outside, rain continued to fall against reinforced glass and steel, distant but unrelenting, as if the world itself were waiting.
Porpo broke the silence first.
"What do we do?" she whispered. Her voice barely carried, but the tension in it was unmistakable. The fury that had fueled her earlier had drained away, leaving something sharper and more brittle behind. Her fingers twitched at her sides, residual green wisps of Gale Trigger flickering and fading as she fought to keep her magic in check. Her eyes slid sideways, sharp and venomous, settling on Kade. "What. Tuck tail and run away?"
Kade stepped forward.
