"…that's a problem."
Pix didn't say it out loud.
Not really.
Just a whisper.
Gone as soon as it formed.
Behind her...
The others were still talking.
"…we need to move," Lyra was saying.
"Agreed," Sera replied. "…this place is no longer stable."
Kaida-9 scanned the room one last time.
"…Structural integrity compromised."
Mii looked around nervously.
"…Yeah, I can feel that part."
Elric pushed himself up slowly.
Still steady.
Still him.
"…I'm good," he said.
Elen watched him closely.
"…You're not," she said softly.
He gave a small shrug.
"…I've been worse."
Pix turned back to them.
Smile in place.
Perfect.
"…Group meeting over?" she said lightly.
Lyra glanced at her.
Still suspicious.
"…We're leaving."
Pix nodded.
"Cool. Love leaving places right before they collapse."
Mii pointed at her.
"You say that like it's normal."
Pix grinned.
"…It is now."
They started moving.
Back into the tunnels.
Step by step.
The room behind them stayed dark.
Dead.
Like nothing had happened.
But Pix...
Lagged behind.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
Her hand brushed against a dead panel as she passed.
No activation.
No flicker.
Nothing visible.
But...
For a split second...
She saw it again.
Not on the surface.
Underneath.
That hidden layer.
That line.
Burned into the system.
[ROOT ACCESS – UNAUTHORIZED]
Pix's smile didn't falter.
Didn't twitch.
But her eyes...
Shifted.
"…root access," she whispered under her breath.
A beat.
"…that's not a glitch."
Ahead...
Elric glanced back.
"…You coming?"
Pix blinked.
Then smiled again.
Bright.
"Yeah, yeah... don't start the next disaster without me."
She caught up easily.
Fell back into step beside him.
Close.
Like always.
"…Hey," she said casually.
Elric glanced at her.
"…Yeah?"
A pause.
Just a small one.
"…Try not to break anything for like… five minutes."
He smirked.
"…No promises."
She laughed.
But it was quieter than usual.
"…Figures."
Mii slipped between them.
"No breaking anything! That's the rule!"
Elric raised an eyebrow.
"…Since when do we have rules?"
Mii crossed her arms.
"…Since everything started exploding!"
Pix chuckled.
Lyra walked ahead.
Silent.
Thinking.
Sera beside her.
Equally quiet.
Kaida-9 leading.
Elen drifting slightly behind Elric.
Watching.
Always watching.
The group moved as one.
But something...
Was different now.
Not visible.
Not spoken.
But there.
A small fracture.
Not in the team.
Not yet.
But in what they knew.
Pix glanced sideways at Elric.
Still smiling.
Still joking.
Still… normal.
"…yeah," she thought.
"…you're definitely not normal."
Far away...
Deep in the system...
The hidden layer shifted.
Reacting.
Not to the group.
But to one thing.
[ACCESS LEVEL CONFLICT DETECTED]
[ROOT vs SYSTEM]
And beneath it...
Something older responded.
[OVERRIDE DENIED]
Back in the tunnels...
The group disappeared into the dark.
Unaware.
For now.