The air in Eryndor Tower's private vault was cold, sterile, and heavy with the weight of secrets. The folder from the archive lay on a steel table under a harsh white light, its edges curling slightly, as if it resented being exposed. Adrian stood with his hands braced on the table's edge, staring at the faded sigil on the cover—a spiral of light within a wolf's eye. Mei Lin stood opposite, her arms crossed, her gaze flicking between the folder and him.
"You're staring at it like it's going to bite you back," she said, her voice cutting through the silence.
"It might," he replied, not looking up. "Or it might already have."
Her lips twitched, but the humor didn't reach her eyes. The hum was back—faint, like a heartbeat buried in the walls, syncing with their breathing. It had followed them from the archive, a persistent echo that neither could ignore. She shifted her weight, her sleeve brushing the table. The hum spiked, sharp and electric.
Adrian's head snapped up. "You feel that?"
"Hard to miss." She stepped back, rubbing her arm as if it stung. "It's like it's… testing us and calling."
He straightened, his jaw tight. "Or waking up and we are not waiting to find out."
The vault's walls were reinforced, soundproof, and lined with tech to block every signal known to man. Yet the hum persisted, slipping through like a ghost. Adrian's fingers hovered over the folder, hesitating. He didn't want to open it—not here, not now—but the alternative was worse. Ignorance wasn't a strategy.
Mei Lin beat him to it. She flipped the folder open, revealing handwritten notes, chemical formulas, and a grainy photo of a machine that looked like a cross between a medical scanner and something pulled from a nightmare. "This is Project Lupus?" she asked, her voice steady but her fingers trembling slightly.
"Part of it." Adrian leaned closer, his shoulder brushing hers. The hum pulsed again, warmer this time, like a hand brushing the back of their necks. He ignored it, pointing to a line of text. "Phase 3 was about binding energy to biology. They wanted to create something that could adapt, evolve, even think."
"Sounds like they succeeded." Her voice was dry, but her eyes were locked on the photo. "This thing looks like it could eat souls."
He snorted, a rare crack in his armor. "It probably tried."
Their eyes met, and for a moment, the hum softened, blending with the quiet rhythm of their breaths. It wasn't just the folder tying them together—it was something deeper, something that made the air between them feel alive. Mei Lin broke the gaze first, turning back to the pages. "There's a name here. Dr. Elara Voss. Lead researcher."
Adrian's expression darkened. "She disappeared after the project was shut down. No trace, no record. My father said she was a ghost even before that."
"Your father?" Mei Lin's tone sharpened. "You didn't mention he was involved."
"I didn't know the extent." His voice was clipped, defensive. "He funded it, but he wasn't in the lab. He just… signed the checks."
She raised an eyebrow. "Checks that built this." She tapped the photo. "And maybe me."
He flinched, the accusation landing harder than he expected. "Mei Lin—"
"Don't." She held up a hand. "I'm not blaming you. But if your family's tied to this, and I'm tied to this, then we're both in deeper than we thought."
The hum surged again, louder, as if agreeing. The lights flickered, casting their shadows long and jagged across the vault. Adrian's hand instinctively went to her arm, steadying her as the floor seemed to vibrate beneath them.
"Adrian," she said, her voice low, "it's not just in the folder. It's in the room."
He followed her gaze to the walls, where the faint glow of embedded circuits pulsed in time with the hum. The vault wasn't just a storage unit—it was part of the system, a dormant piece of Project Lupus that had been waiting for the right trigger.
Them.
"We need to get out," he said, grabbing the folder and pulling her toward the door. But the lock panel flashed red, unresponsive. He swiped his print again. Nothing.
Mei Lin's voice was calm, but her eyes were wide. "It's locking us in."
He slammed his fist against the panel, the hum spiking in response. "This isn't random. Someone's controlling it."
"Or something," she whispered.
The air grew hotter, the hum now a low growl that vibrated in their chests. Mei Lin pressed a hand to the wall, and the circuits flared brighter, casting her face in sharp relief. "It's reacting to me," she said, almost to herself. "Like it knows me."
Adrian stepped closer, his voice urgent. "Mei Lin, focus. If it's keyed to us, we can control it. Together."
She turned to him, her expression a mix of fear and defiance. "How? We don't even know what 'it' is."
He grabbed her hand, ignoring the jolt that shot through him at the contact. The hum steadied, almost soothing. "Feel that? It's us. It's always been us."
Her fingers tightened around his, and for a moment, the vault felt less like a trap and more like a crucible, forging something between them. The hum wasn't just a sound—it was a bridge, a current that flowed where their skin met.
"Close your eyes," he said softly. "Listen to it."
She hesitated, then obeyed. Her breathing slowed, syncing with his. The hum softened, guiding them like a melody. Images flickered in Adrian's mind—flashes of labs, faces, a child's laughter, a woman's voice whispering about power and blood. Mei Lin gasped, her hand trembling in his.
"You saw that too?" she asked, eyes snapping open.
He nodded, his throat tight. "It's not just reacting. It's showing us."
Before they could process it, the vault door hissed, unlocking with a groan. A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway—tall, cloaked in shadow, the air around them crackling with static. The hum roared, drowning out everything else.
"Step away from her, Mr. Li," the figure said, voice low and distorted, like it was filtered through a machine. "She's not yours to keep."
Adrian moved in front of Mei Lin, his stance protective. "Who are you and what the hell do you want?"
The figure tilted their head, and the hum pulsed in time with their movement. "You're asking the wrong question. Ask what you are."
Mei Lin's voice cut through, sharp and fearless. "If you want me, come get me."
The figure laughed, a sound that made the circuits in the walls flicker wildly. "Oh, we will. But not yet. The spark needs time to burn brighter."
They stepped back, and the door slammed shut, locking again. The hum faded to a whisper, leaving only the sound of their ragged breathing.
Mei Lin's hand was still in his, her grip fierce. "They're playing with us," she said, her voice shaking with anger.
"Then we play smarter," Adrian replied, his eyes burning with a resolve that matched hers.
She looked at him, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just them—the heat of their hands, the shared pulse of something ancient and alive. Whatever Project Lupus had done, it had bound them together, and that bond was their only weapon.
"We need answers," she said. "Not just about the project. About us."
He nodded, his voice low. "Then we hunt. Together."
The vault lights steadied, but the air remained charged, heavy with the promise of a storm. They stepped toward the door, the folder clutched between them, their shadows merging into one.
Outside, Eryndor Tower stood silent, but the city beyond was waking to something new—a frequency rising, a spark ready to ignite.
And somewhere, in a hidden room filled with screens, the figure watched them, their smile sharp as a blade. "Run all you want," they whispered. "You're already ours and you can't hide from us."