The corridor narrowed as they walked, walls smooth and curved like the inside of a living machine. No lights guided them, yet the path was visible—lit by a pale, silvery glow that didn't come from any source they could find.
Juno walked first. The others followed, their footsteps muffled by a strange pressure in the air, like sound itself was being swallowed.
The hallway opened into a chamber.
Circular. Massive. Like the inside of a clock that ticked without gears.
Hovering in the center was a projection—grainy, unstable, constantly shifting forms. A little girl. An older woman. A version of Juno in a Council uniform. Then… static.
Then…
"ERROR 12: UNAUTHORIZED EXISTENCE."
Milo stepped forward. "What the hell does that mean?"
Seth's voice was tight. "It means she was never supposed to be reborn."
Juno turned slowly. "Explain."
Seth didn't flinch. "You weren't just erased. You were flagged. A dangerous variable. Someone who disobeyed not because of hate but because you understood too much."
Idris frowned. "So what, she was too curious to live?"
"No," Seth said, eyes locked on the flickering image. "She loved too much. She broke protocol to save lives, even when it meant turning against the Council's order. You died for it."
The image stabilized.
Juno—older, bleeding, dragging a young boy through a collapsing hallway.
Then…
Juno Kerr. Former Prime-Class Anchor. Status: Terminated. Reincarnation protocol: REJECTED.
Outcome: Unaccounted anomaly.
Seth clenched his fists.
"She wasn't supposed to come back. The system tried to erase her completely. But…"
"But I slipped through," Juno finished, stepping toward the hologram.
It reacted to her, spinning, reconfiguring.
Then it spoke—in her voice.
"If you're hearing this… then I failed.
I tried to save the future by remembering the past. But now the past is waking up, and I'm not sure if we're ready.
Juno… if you are me… run. Because the Vaults are no longer archives.
They're weapons."
The projection exploded into static.
Seth caught her before she fell.
Milo stared in silence.
Idris gritted his teeth. "So what now?"
Juno stood on her own.
Eyes sharp. Voice steady.
"We go deeper."