Chapter 18 · The Price of Silence

"One more step and I fry her brain from the inside out."

Serah didn't even look at Nora. Her hand was clamped tight on Mia’s shoulder, a neural spike humming with a lethal violet glow right against the girl's temple. Mia wasn't screaming. She couldn't. Her eyes were wide, glazed with static.

Nora froze, boots skidding on the metallic floor. The air tasted like ozone and burnt copper.

"Let her go, Serah. You have the key. You won. Just let her go!"

"Win?" Serah finally looked at her, a thin, cruel smile on her lips. "Nora, darling, winning is when I control the board. Right now? You're just a piece I haven't decided to remove yet."

Elias stepped forward. His hand hovered near his holster, but his eyes were locked on Nora. He was too close. Nora could feel the heat radiating off him, the scent of rain and gun oil. The bond between them thrummed—a low-frequency ache in her skull that screamed *danger*.

"You're not doing this," Elias growled. "The core isn't stable. Force the reset now, and you'll kill every bonded pair in the city. Including yourself."

Serah laughed. It was light. Airy. It made Nora’s skin crawl.