The shuttle wasn't big. Just enough seats for maybe a dozen passengers, with built-in restraints and reinforced windows.
The walls were a dull gray, scratched from use, and the hum of the mana core under the floor gave the space a soft, constant vibration—barely noticeable unless you were still.
Ethan stepped on board and took a seat near the back. Not in the corner, but close—far enough that he had space on both sides, and a clear view of the doors.
Evelyn and Everly followed a moment later, settling into the seats across the aisle. Not pressed up against him, but close. Their posture relaxed, not alert, but casual.
Outside, the base was still in motion. Crates were lifted by hovering forklifts, drones navigated pre-programmed paths, and workers moved with clipped, focused urgency. Everyone was doing something. Everyone had a task.
It looked normal. But the energy wasn't normal.
Too clean. Too efficient. Like everyone was pretending things hadn't gone off script.
