That night, the sky was thick and dark, as if it, too, wanted to hide the steps of those who played in the shadows. Lyra drew a long breath as her black car rolled to a stop in front of an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city. The place had been arranged through her secret channels—a meeting point where she would finally hand over something far more dangerous than just fragments of data.

She knew her time was running out. Devandra had begun to smell betrayal. Every move felt watched, every word a snare waiting to spring. If she delayed any longer, it wouldn’t just be her downfall,...