#### **Chapter 23: The Voice in the Walls**
Commander Valerius was a man who prided himself on control. He had risen through the ranks of W.A.O. on a reputation of ruthless efficiency. Now, that control was slipping. He watched from his mobile command unit as his elite soldiers were neutralized with insulting ease. On one screen, he saw the data transfer nearing completion. On another, he saw The Director's impassive face, watching his failure in real-time. A cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
"All teams, consolidate on the sub-level lab! He's cornered! I want him suppressed, now!" he barked into his comm, his voice tight with frustration.
It was then that a new voice entered the channel. It wasn't one of his soldiers. It was a girl's voice, soft and clear, echoing eerily through every soldier's earpiece as if it were coming from the walls of the facility itself.
"He knows you're coming, Commander," Hikari whispered, her voice a chillingly calm melody. Kuro had given her access. "He knows you're afraid of failing The Director. She thinks The Warden was weak. What will she think of you?"
Valerius's heart hammered against his ribs. "Who is this? Cut this channel!"
"Too late," Hikari's voice continued, now laced with a sad, knowing tone. "Did she tell you what happened here? In this lab? Did she tell you about the first test subjects for Project Chimera? The ones who went mad from the conditioning? Their ghosts are still here. They're watching you."
Panic began to ripple through the comms. The soldiers, already on edge from fighting a phantom, were now hearing the facility's ghost.
"She's lying! A trick!" Valerius roared. "Advance!"
"Ask yourself, Commander," Hikari's voice concluded, a final, devastating whisper. "Why did Dr. Tarayashi really die? Who gave the order? She was trying to stop them. Just like her son is trying to stop you."
Fueled by fear and rage, Valerius made his final, fatal mistake. He abandoned strategy for a show of force, ordering his remaining men into a full frontal assault on the shielded lab. It was a desperate, reckless move, and it left their escape route completely exposed.