Chapter 55 — The Choice That Breaks You
The red light blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Each flash felt like it was counting down the pieces of Kiera's heart.
Leo's small body trembled in her arms. He pressed his face into her chest, fingers clutching her shirt as though she were the only thing anchoring him to the world. "Mommy… I don't like this," he whispered, his voice breaking her from the inside.
Kiera swallowed, throat tight. "I know, baby. I know. But Mommy's here. I won't let anything hurt you."
She wasn't sure if she was trying to calm him—or herself.
The mansion felt wrong. The walls hummed faintly, like they were breathing. The air was thick, heavy with smoke and electricity, and somewhere deep within the structure, metal groaned under pressure.
Her father stared at the device like it was a living thing. His hands shook, but his eyes were focused—sharper than she had ever seen them.
"That blinking pattern…" he murmured. "It's not random."
