Chapter 209

# Chapter 209 ## CHEN The conference room felt smaller than usual, despite being designed for twice as many people. Perhaps it was the weight of what we were about to discuss, compressing the very air around us. I arrived fifteen minutes early. A habit from my military days—control the space, set the tone, never let others see you unprepared. The room's holographic displays were already active, showing real-time data from the corrupted sectors. Energy fluctuations pulsed across the screens like a heartbeat. Like something alive and waiting. Commander Reeves entered next, his posture rigid with the formality he adopted during crisis situations. We'd served together for twelve years. I could read the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw was set just slightly tighter than usual. "Sarah," he said, using my first name. A deliberate choice—this was a conversation between old friends before it became a command decision. "Marcus." I gestured to the seat beside me rather than across the ta