"I'm stating facts," Thessian replied, unflinching. "They knew exactly where we were. They moved too fast. Every trace was wiped immediately after. This was coordinated. Professional."
The air grew heavier. Eyes narrowed. The council leaned in now, no longer simply judging him, they were listening with sharpened focus.
"And you believe this is connected to the human," another voice pressed, colder now.
"Yes." Thessian's tone left no room for doubt. "The attack came after contact with her. After involvement with what is happening in Valeria. After the duplicate became relevant."
The word duplicate landed like a stone dropped into still water.
One council member spoke it carefully, as if the name itself carried poison. "Project Replica."
Thessian didn't flinch. "Yes."
The chamber fell into a longer, heavier silence. The implications rippled outward, beyond pack politics, into something far larger and unknown.
