Rina worked tirelessly, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she decrypted the remaining files. The room had settled into an uneasy quiet—everyone was either pretending to rest or keeping themselves busy.
Rea sat on the couch, arms crossed, still fuming from Aster and Christy's teasing. Aster, for his part, was stretched out in a chair, hands behind his head, grinning like he had just won the lottery.
Jaxon paced near the entrance, stealing occasional glances at Rina. Celeste was reviewing the data they had so far, and Eric stood watch near the doorway, looking as tense as ever.
Christy? She was casually balancing a knife on the tip of her finger, completely unbothered.
After what felt like forever, Rina finally let out a triumphant sound.
"Got it."
Everyone snapped to attention.
Jaxon stepped forward. "What did you find?"
Rina turned the screen toward them. "The prison. It's not just some hidden facility—it's a fortress."
She pulled up a map, showing a sprawling underground structure buried beneath a seemingly abandoned government compound.
Rea squinted at the screen. "Where is that?"
Rina zoomed in on the coordinates. "West of the city, hidden beneath an old military base. No one's supposed to know it still exists."
Celeste narrowed her eyes. "How many people are inside?"
Rina scrolled through the files. "Hundreds, at least. But it's not just prisoners. It's scientists, guards, operatives. This isn't just a prison—it's a research facility."
Jaxon frowned. "Research on what?"
Rina hesitated, then clicked on another file. The room fell silent as a series of images and reports filled the screen.
Aster's expression darkened. "Is that… experimentation?"
Rina nodded grimly. "Collaway isn't just holding people. He's using them."
Rea's stomach twisted. "For what?"
Rina scrolled through the documents, her voice heavy. "Some kind of enhancement program. Strength, endurance, intelligence—he's been running tests on prisoners, trying to create the 'perfect' soldier."
Eric clenched his fists. "He's trying to build an army."
Celeste exhaled sharply. "Of course he is."
Jaxon crossed his arms. "So, what's our move?"
Rina looked at him. "We have to shut it down. And we have to get everyone out."
Christy smirked. "Breaking into a high-security prison to take down a madman's science project? Sounds fun."
Rea gave her a dry look. "Yeah. A blast."
Aster cracked his knuckles. "When do we leave?"
Rina hesitated, then turned the screen back toward herself. "Not yet."
Jaxon raised a brow. "Why not?"
Rina's expression darkened. "Because there's something else. One last file. And it's encrypted differently from the rest."
Rea frowned. "Differently how?"
Rina met her eyes. "Because it has your name on it."
Silence.
Rea's heart pounded. "What?"
Rina tapped the screen. "This file. It's locked with a higher level of security than the rest, and it's specifically tied to you."
Celeste's face was unreadable, but her fingers curled slightly into a fist.
Jaxon narrowed his eyes. "Why would Collaway keep a secret file on Rea?"
No one had an answer.
Rea's mind raced. What could Collaway possibly have on her?
Aster spoke up, his voice unusually serious. "Then we open it."
Rina exhaled, nodding. "Agreed. But whatever's in here—" she met Rea's gaze "—you need to be ready for it."
Rea swallowed hard.
Because she had a feeling that whatever was in that file…
It was going to change everything.