The mountain road twisted downward through fog and pine, the air heavy with the scent of oil and smoke. The truck rattled with every bump, its old suspension groaning under the weight of people and supplies. Riku drove in silence, his eyes fixed on the narrow strip of gray ahead. Every few seconds, he checked the rearview mirror—half expecting to see something following them from the dam.
Nothing yet.
But that hum… even now, he swore he could still feel it, echoing faintly through the steering wheel. A low vibration, deep in the earth.
Suzune sat beside him, her rifle resting across her knees. "You're doing that thing again," she said quietly.
"What thing?"
"Thinking too loud."
Riku exhaled through his nose. "I can't shake it. The system was still active—someone had to reinitialize it."
"Or it's running on autopilot," she countered. "It's an old military site. Maybe the grid was self-contained."
Riku shook his head. "No. That wasn't just power running. It was… aware."
