No one breathed.
They just stared at the screen.
ACCESS EXPANDED.
The words didn't blink.
Didn't glitch.
Didn't disappear.
They stayed.
Like a statement.
Like a warning.
Like a promise.
"…Turn it off," the girl said quietly.
No one moved.
"Victor turn it off."
Victor's eyes didn't leave the console. "It's not something we can just switch off anymore."
"That's not comforting," she snapped.
Dante didn't speak.
He was watching the screen too.
But not like them.
Not confused.
Not surprised.
Recognizing.
Camille caught that instantly.
"…Dante."
He didn't look at her.
"You understand it," she said.
A pause.
Then
"Yeah."
The word landed too easily.
Victor's gaze shifted sharply. "Explain."
Dante exhaled slowly.
"It's not expanding randomly," he said.
"It's expanding through access points."
The girl frowned. "Access to what?"
Dante finally looked away from the screen.
"At us."
Silence.
Camille's voice tightened. "Define 'us.'"
Dante didn't hesitate.
