Chapter 17 Sentinel
Sentinel
Something is wrong.
Not the alarms.
Not the feeds.
The absence.
Sentinel turns slowly, eyes narrowing at the central display. His system should be screaming by now—pressure, response, dominance restored.
Instead—
Stillness.
The girl didn’t break.
She endured.
And the hunter hasn’t rushed.
That’s when it hits him.
Carter isn’t reacting.
He’s already inside.
“Seal the inner corridors,” Sentinel snaps.
Too late.
The lights flicker—once.
Not a failure.
A handoff.
His jaw tightens.
Impossible.
No one moves through his system without noise.
Without fear.
Without permission.
Then a realization colder than anger settles into his bones.
Scout Fallon didn’t give Carter a location.
She gave him timing.
Sentinel spins—
And the control room door unlocks.
Silently.
He smiles then.
Sharp. Thin.
“So,” he murmurs to thin air. “You finally came.”
Behind him, the screen goes dark.
And somewhere in the depths of the facility—he walks away.