(Mira's POV)
The silence on the executive floor felt wrong.
Not the ordinary quiet that followed a long workday, when offices emptied and lights dimmed one by one. This silence was heavier and sharper. It felt like the moment after a storm had passed—when the air still carried the echo of thunder. Or the moment after a gunshot.
I stared at the glowing monitor in front of me, the activity logs scrolling slowly down the screen.
Clark leaned against the edge of the security console beside me, arms folded, his expression calm in that controlled way that meant he was thinking faster than he was speaking.
The system had gone still again. No new access attempts. No suspicious movement. Whoever had been inside the system earlier had vanished.
But the quiet didn't bring relief. It made my stomach tighten.
"They stopped," Clark said. His voice was low, thoughtful rather than relieved.
I nodded slowly, my eyes scanning the lines of data again. "They didn't stop," I murmured.
