Nova Sanctum
Lucy woke with a sharp inhale.
The ceiling above her wasn't familiar—smooth, black steel with faint blue lines pulsing like veins under the surface. The air smelled faintly metallic, and there was a soft hum all around, like the heartbeat of some massive machine.
Her fingers flexed against a surface that was too soft to be metal but too firm to be a mattress. She pushed herself up, her hair falling over her face, and scanned the room.
It wasn't big. A clean, sleek chamber, no windows, walls lined with faint holographic projections of star maps and moving data streams.
The first thing out of her mouth wasn't a question about where she was.
"Where's Lucian?"
A voice answered immediately, smooth and deep, but with a tone that carried an almost human weight.
"Calm yourself, Lucy. The master is alive and well. He is… attending to other business."
Her eyes narrowed. "Who the hell is that? And where are you?"
