_*]:min-w-0 !gap-3.5" style="border:0px solid">The vilge celebration was in full swing following their completion of the community water purification quest. Lanterns swayed from tree branches, casting warm light across the ptforms where vilgers danced to music pyed on wooden instruments. Alexander was deep in conversation with Elder Thorne, likely discussing their next steps through the social byrinth, while Elijah charmed a group of vilgers with stories of healing techniques from outside the forest.

  Lyra hung back at the edges of the gathering, nursing a cup of sweet tree sap. Social events had never been her thing, even back in Sector 17 where she knew everyone. Here, despite the vilgers' growing acceptance, she still felt like an outsider—the Unaligned girl in an Architect's team.

  Her gaze drifted across the celebration, automatically accounting for each team member out of habit. Alexander with the elders. Elijah with the healers. Riva helping serve food. And Valeria...

  Lyra frowned. Valeria had been standing near the musicians just a moment ago.

  Something about the way Valeria had slipped away—not casually wandering off but deliberately waiting for a moment when everyone was distracted by Elder Thorne's speech—triggered Lyra's instincts. After years of avoiding corporate patrols in Sector 17, she had developed a sixth sense for suspicious behavior.

  Setting down her cup, Lyra moved casually toward the edge of the ptform, as if simply stepping away from the noise. Once out of sight, she quickened her pace, following the direction she'd seen Valeria heading—toward a secluded viewing ptform one level up.

  Years of scavenging had taught Lyra how to move silently. She climbed the spiral stairs at the edge of the trunk, staying in the shadows, and paused just before reaching the upper ptform. Carefully, she peered around the curve of the trunk.

  Valeria stood alone, her back to the stairs, facing outward as if admiring the view. But her posture was wrong for sightseeing—too rigid, too focused. Her hands moved in the distinctive patterns of someone maniputing an interface dispy only she could see.

  She's sending a message, Lyra realized. But to who?

  Alexander had confronted Valeria about her communications days ago, and they'd reached an agreement: Valeria could maintain minimal contact with corporate oversight, but would limit her reports to basic progress updates, nothing detailed about team abilities or strategies.

  Something told Lyra this wasn't a basic update.

  Carefully, Lyra reached into her pocket and withdrew a small device she'd assembled from components traded for yesterday—a simple signal amplifier she'd originally created to help detect the resonance patterns in the vilge paths. With a few quick adjustments, she recalibrated it to pick up interface transmission frequencies instead.

  She couldn't intercept the full message—that would require more sophisticated equipment than she had on hand—but she might catch fragments, especially if she could isote Valeria's unique transmission signature.

  The device hummed softly in her palm as it scanned frequencies. Lyra adjusted a tiny dial, filtering out background noise until she found the right pattern. Faint text began to appear in her own interface dispy:

  ...unusual abilities continuing to develop... particurly subject E's connection to what he calls "whispers"... appears to receive information beyond standard sensory input...

  Lyra's heart pounded. Valeria was explicitly reporting on Elijah's abilities—exactly what she'd agreed not to do.

  ...social byrinth progress accelerated through technical capabilities of subject L... unprecedented interface modifications...

  A cold feeling settled in Lyra's stomach. "Subject L"—that was her. Valeria wasn't just breaking the agreement about reporting their abilities; she was specifically highlighting Lyra and Elijah for special attention.

  ...A continues to demonstrate exceptional strategic adaptation but shows concerning independence from directive structure... retionships with E and particurly L appear to be influencing decision patterns...

  Lyra nearly dropped the device. This wasn't just routine reporting—this was a comprehensive assessment of the entire team, with an emphasis on their unusual abilities and potential vulnerabilities. And the clinical tone, referring to them by single letters like they were b specimens...

  Valeria's hands made a final gesture, completing the transmission. Lyra quickly pocketed her device and retreated down the stairs, ducking into a shadowy alcove just as Valeria turned to leave the ptform.

  Once Valeria had passed, heading back toward the celebration, Lyra let out a shaky breath. The implications of what she'd intercepted were spinning through her mind. She needed to tell someone, but who? Alexander would be the logical choice, but he was publicly conversing with vilge leaders. Creating a scene now could jeopardize everything they'd worked for with the social byrinth.

  Elijah. She needed to find Elijah first.

  "You're certain about this?" Elijah asked, his voice low. They stood in a quiet corner of the celebration, music providing cover for their conversation. Lyra had managed to pull him away with a casual request to check some medicinal herbs she'd found.

  "Completely," Lyra replied. "She's reporting everything—your whispers, my technical skills, Alexander's strategic decisions. And she specifically called us 'subjects'—'Subject E,' 'Subject L.' Like we're experiments."

  Elijah's expression darkened. "That's not what she agreed to with Alexander."

  "Not even close," Lyra said, running a hand through her short hair. "I don't know what to do. Alexander needs to know, but..."

  "But confronting her now could cause problems with the vilge," Elijah finished. "We need solid proof first."

  As they discussed the situation, Lyra noticed Elijah tilting his head slightly—the gesture he made when the whispers were active.

  "Are they saying something?" she asked.

  Elijah nodded. "It's clearer than usual. Just one phrase, repeating: 'Hidden eyes are watching.'"

  "Great," Lyra muttered. "Super helpful and not creepy at all."

  Despite her sarcasm, Lyra had come to respect Elijah's whispers. They'd provided useful insights too many times to be dismissed as imagination.

  "I think we need more evidence," she said. "Something Alexander can't ignore."

  "Can you monitor her future transmissions?"

  Lyra nodded. "The device I built can pick up fragments, but it's crude. Given a day or two, I could create something better—maybe even record the full content."

  "Do it," Elijah said with uncharacteristic firmness. "I'll run interference with Alexander, make sure he doesn't notice anything unusual between you and Valeria."

  "We should be careful what we say around her too," Lyra added. "Maybe feed her some misinformation about our abilities, see if it shows up in her next transmission."

  They quickly developed a pn: Lyra would create a more sophisticated monitoring device while Elijah would subtly manage information shared in Valeria's presence. They would gather concrete evidence before bringing everything to Alexander.

  "We should get back before they notice we're gone," Elijah said, gncing toward the main celebration.

  As they walked back, Lyra felt a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, the discovery of Valeria's betrayal was infuriating and frightening. On the other, the immediate, unquestioning way Elijah had believed her and joined in pnning a response made her feel something she rarely experienced—true trust. Not the wary alliance of convenience that had characterized her early days with the team, but genuine partnership.

  Even in Sector 17, where her technical skills had been valued, Lyra had often felt isoted by her differences. Here, those same differences were becoming strengths—and for the first time, she felt like she truly belonged somewhere.

  The celebration continued around them as they rejoined the group, smiling and nodding as if nothing had changed. But everything had. As Valeria rejoined them, offering a pte of food with a casual smile, Lyra met her eyes briefly and thought: I see you now. And soon, Alexander will too.