"...Caleb."
The voice was real. Caleb snapped his head around—Lucy stood at the doorway, hair a mess like she'd just rolled out of bed, face pale but eyes razor sharp.
Without a word, she rushed in, grabbed his arm, and pushed him down onto the couch. Her breath came quick, like she'd run straight here.
"Caleb…" her voice was raspy. "…do you and Joe have a problem?"
Caleb stared at her for a moment, then snorted. "Problem? Hah… that old man just liked to preach, acting all wise like some street prophet." His lips twisted into a smirk. "I got sick of it, so I told him straight: if you want advice with no proof, a free AI can spit that out unlimited. Don't need clowns like him anymore."
Lucy gave the faintest smile—maybe at his bluntness, maybe at the bite in his tone—but her face snapped serious again almost instantly.
"Listen… you need to leave. Now. Get far away from Torkside, from Metroland." Her tone sharpened. "Disappear for a while—go hide out in the countryside."
