Elira stood behind her desk, red hair trimmed sharp, coat crisp. Not a wrinkle, not a smear of ash, nothing to suggest she'd stood through a Gigantic break hours ago. Her eyesc obsidian black, flawless, lifted immediately to him.
"Lucen Ivara." Calm, steady. No rise in tone. "Sit."
Lucen smirked, dropping into the chair opposite. "You didn't even offer tea. Hostile work environment."
Her gaze didn't flicker. "How close are you?"
He tilted his head. "To what? Coffee?"
Her eyes narrowed a fraction. "To losing control."
[Corruption Load: 94%]
The system pulsed behind his eyes like a warning bell.
Lucen leaned back, legs crossing. "You'll have to be more specific. I lose control of my finances constantly. Also my patience. Also my laundry."
Elira didn't blink. "The corruption. The tether. How far has it spread?"
For a half-second, Lucen's grin faltered. Just half.
He drummed his fingers against the armrest. "Funny. Didn't think that was in the official report."
