Luther was sprawled comfortably on his bed, his laptop balanced across his knees as his fingers moved with practiced ease over the keyboard. The cool blue glow of shifting diagrams and system charts lit his focused eyes. "Now this is cool," he muttered, scanning through layer upon layer of complicated documentation that mapped out the networks surrounding their homes. The entire neighborhood appeared to run on one basic security grid, but each villa had its own private system built on top of that framework.
"Luther." His mother's voice floated up the stairs, warm yet firm, carrying the weight of concern. "Your eyes need a break from that screen, young man."
"Got it, Mom," he called back automatically, though his gaze never wavered and his rhythm never faltered.
At the doorway, Adin and Ariel exchanged knowing looks. They had declared themselves guards at the entrance to his room, taking their duties as if they were sentries protecting a fortress.
