Chapter 284

• Leah's POV
• The air in the basement hit me hard - hick with the stink of chemicals, sharp and sour, and the low, throbbing hum of machines that buzzed through my bones. Dim light bled from a flickering bulb, spilling shadows that twisted the equipment into hulking, jagged shapes, like beasts crouched and waiting.
• At the far end, Leo hunched over his workbench, all sharp angles and focus, his hands moving precise and ruthless over whatever experiment he was tearing apart. Beside him, Gean's holographic projection shimmered, a ghost stitched from light and memory, his edges fraying in the gloom. My gut twisted seeing him - Leo's crutch, his echo of a brother we'd lost, flickering there like a wound he wouldn't let scab over.