Chapter 21 · 30 Seconds

"Get the hell away from me, Vivian!" I screamed, my voice cracking as I shoved her back with a desperate, clumsy heave.

She didn't budge. Instead, she caught my wrists, her grip like iron, pinning me against the cold, humming metal of the console. The lab was screaming. Alarms were blaring in a rhythmic, soul-crushing strobe of red light, and the countdown on the main screen was bleeding numbers: 24... 23... 22.

"I'm not leaving you in a death trap," Vivian snapped. Her eyes were wide, frantic, and way too close to mine. I could smell the ozone from her magic and the faint, sweet scent of her perfume—something that had no business being in a place that smelled like burnt wires and failure.

"Look at the screen, you idiot!" I yelled, trying to wrench my arms free. "The override is fried. The blast radius covers the whole floor. If you stay, you're just another piece of debris!"

Vivian didn't let go. Her gaze dropped to my neck, where the collar was pulsing a violent, angry crimson. The metal was searing my skin, a constant reminder that Silas wasn't just watching—