Lucas stood up and pull Ava down past the lower armory vaults into a sealed chamber at the very bottom of the Bai Manor—one Ava didn't even know existed until he palm-pressed it open.
The door hissed sideways. Inside: pitch-black space, square, windowless, silent.
"Test room," he said. "Soundproofed. Surge-rated. Reinforced alloy composite walls."
Ava arched an eyebrow. "And you just never mentioned it?"
Lucas smirked. "I wasn't sure you'd survive long enough to need it."
She walked past him without replying.
The door sealed behind them.
The lights flicked on slowly, low blue-white glow rolling across the floor like fog. Thin lines formed a grid beneath their feet. Ava's system pinged immediately.
[FIELD DETECTED – COMBAT-SAFE TESTING ENVIRONMENT][BRACER LOCK DISENGAGED – LIMITERS OFF]
Lucas shrugged out of his coat, tossed it toward a corner console without looking.
