"We are not a fairy tale, Dr. Thorne," I say softly. "We are the mortar. We hold the world together. And you just tried to pull a brick out of the wall."
I nod to Lyra. "Take him to the deep bunkers. Put him in a lead-lined cell. He won't be broadcasting anything else."
As Lyra drags him away, Thorne screams, "You’re too late! The sequence is already uploaded! The Architects know the harmonic frequency of your wedding ceremony! They’re going to sterilize the clearing!"
The heavy door slams shut, cutting off his screams.
Silence falls over the war room.
He’s lying, Kade projects, though his mental voice is tight with doubt. He’s trying to break our focus.
He’s not lying, Elara’s voice echoes in my mind, sad and dual-toned. The algorithm is already in the grid. The living dampeners are
