Chapter 7 · Witness to the Ember

The broadcast ended with a burst of static that crawled through the black tower like insects under skin.

“By order of Director Oren Vale, Sera Vale is deceased. Eli Quill, designation K-07, is declared a hostile war criminal. A reward of ten million credits will be paid for his capture alive or confirmed termination.”

The speakers clicked off.

For half a second, nobody moved.

Then the tower groaned.

A deep metallic vibration rolled up through the floor, shaking loose dust from the ribs of the vaulted chamber. Hundreds of dormant warframes stood in rigid ranks around Eli, their rifles lowered but not relaxed. Red optics flickered across their helmets. One after another, they turned toward the sealed elevator at the center of the hangar.

Something breathed below them.

Sera pressed one hand against her side. Blood had soaked through the torn fabric beneath her jacket, black in the emergency lights. Her face was pale, but her eyes remained sharp enough to cut glass.

“Tell me that was the building settling,” she said.

Eli kept staring at the elevator doors. “Buildings don’t breathe.”

Another pulse struck the floor.

This one came with a sound—