Matt Daman — an old man — tall, austere, and immaculate in a black suit that looked sharper than most uniforms. His eyes, cold and precise, could cut deeper than any blade. Even through the flickering hologram, his presence pressed into the room like gravity.
He offered a thin, surgical smile.
"Thank you for the introduction," he said — not as courtesy, but as confirmation that the room now belonged to him.
His gaze slid over them, then stopped. On Tess.
Even though it wasn't in person, she felt it like a knife point.
"That girl," he said smoothly. "With the white hair. You've been here before. You caused that commotion in District Mercene. You had people believing there were evil Chewletes."
The others turned to her, shock etched across their faces.
Zack's jaw dropped. "Wait. That was you?"
The silence stretched. Tess didn't move. Didn't deny.
Finally, she spoke, her voice flat. "You're right. That was me. I've been here before."
