Three days had passed since Scarlett and Shūmei's awakening, and Vault Terminus had settled into a new rhythm. The morning found Jin in the Command Wing's common area, watching his expanded team navigate their first real breakfast together as a complete group. The space felt crowded now—six people around a table designed for four—but there was something comforting about the quiet conversations and shared meals.
Scarlett sat with perfect posture, methodically eating while simultaneously reviewing tactical data on her tablet. Her ginger hair caught the artificial lighting as she gestured toward a holographic display of the vault's defensive capabilities.
"The outer perimeter sensors show increased Crawler activity," she reported, her emerald eyes scanning the readouts. "Seventeen distinct pack signatures within two kilometers. They're testing our boundaries."
Sera leaned forward, her amber eyes sharp with interest. "Coordinated?"
