Chapter 62 Aaron
Aaron
Location: Government Coordination Center — Lisbon
Time: Same
The Oversight man’s phone starts ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Then again.
And again.
A cascade of calls he can’t ignore—
and can’t answer fast enough.
His composure fractures in real time.
Ten years—
gone in ten seconds.
“This isn’t over,” he says.
But it doesn’t sound like a threat anymore.
It sounds like a man trying to hold onto something that’s already slipping.
I step closer.
Slow.
Deliberate.
“For you?” I say quietly.
A beat.
“It is.”
Security moves in.
Not ours.
His.
And not to protect him.
To get him out.
Because whatever is coming next—
he’s no longer in control of it.
He doesn’t argue.
Doesn’t fight.
That’s how I know.
He understands.
He’s already lost this room.
They escort him out.
The door closes.
And the silence that follows—
is heavier than anything that came before.
No movement.
No voices.
Just the hum of systems still processing what we just unleashed.
Then—
Lark sways.
Just slightly.
Most wouldn’t notice.
I do.
Always.
I catch her before she falls.
Before the adrenaline drains.
Before reality catches up.
Her body folds into mine—
not weak—
just… human.
“You okay?” I ask, quieter now.
Closer.
She nods against my chest.
Breathing uneven.
“I just declared war on a system,” she says.
Not fear.
Not regret.
Recognition.
I tighten my hold on her.
Grounding.
Steady.
“Good,” I reply.
A beat.
“It needed one.”
Her hand grips my shirt.
Not for balance.
For anchor.
And for a second—
just one—
the war disappears.
It’s just us.
Then—
Ronan’s voice cuts in.
Sharp.
Urgent.
“They’re moving.”
Everything snaps back.