Renic was fast. Too fast for someone pretending to be a quiet archivist.
Aris ran just behind Leon, her baton gripped tight in one hand. Her ribs still ached from the fight with Eran, but there was no time to rest.
Kael led the way through the service tunnels, his hand held out toward the wall. He was tracing Renic's trail—tiny disruptions in the pulse current that most people couldn't feel.
"He's not just running," Kael said as they sprinted. "He's guiding us. Buying time."
Aris frowned. "For what?"
Leon answered without looking back. "To reach the null core. If he gets there before us, he can bury the whole floor in silence."
They reached a heavy security door. Kael scanned his hand. Nothing happened.
"Locked from the other side," he muttered.
Leon stepped forward, planted his hand against the metal, and forced power into the panel. The door hissed, sparks flew—and then it snapped open.
They charged through.
