The drive back felt longer than the trip out.
Bianca sat in the passenger seat clutching the folded note from her mother like it might disappear if she let go.
Ward kept his eyes on the road and his mouth shut, which was smart of him.
The truck’s heater fought a losing battle against the cold seeping through every crack.
The System hadn’t said a single word since the outpost.
Not one warning.
Not one percentage.
Just heavy silence.
Bianca finally broke it halfway back.
“You gonna explain why my mom wrote that you’re the only thing keeping the door closed?”
No response.
“Great. Silent treatment. Real mature.”
Ward glanced over.
“Still talking to it?”
“Always.” She leaned her head against the cold window.
“It’s being extra weird today. Even for a brain parasite.”
When they finally pulled into the Horizon facility, the snow had started falling heavier.
Maya was waiting just inside the main entrance, bouncing on her toes like she couldn’t decide whether to run outside or stay put.
The second she saw Bianca she hurried over and wrapped her in a quick, awkward hug.
“You’re back,” Maya said, voice muffled against Bianca’s coat.
“You smell like old paper and fear.”
Bianca laughed despite everything.
“Accurate. Miss me that much?”
Maya pulled back, cheeks slightly red.
“The cartoons were boring without someone to explain the jokes.”
They walked inside together while Ward went to report in.
Bianca kept an arm around Maya’s shoulders the whole way to the cafeteria.
The kid was warming up faster than Bianca expected — asking for snacks, laughing at dumb cartoons, even teasing her a little.
It felt good.
Dangerous, but good.
They grabbed hot drinks and claimed a corner table.
Maya watched Bianca carefully.
“Something bad happened out there,” she said.
Not a question.
Bianca stared into her mug.
“And she warned me not to trust Horizon. Or Evelyn.”
Maya’s eyes widened.
“What are you going to do?”
“Confront people. Probably yell. Maybe break something.” Bianca gave a tired grin.
“The usual.”
Before Maya could answer, Ward appeared in the doorway with Evelyn Voss right behind him.
The old woman moved like the mountain belonged to her.
The System immediately flared to life in Bianca’s vision.
> [ PRIORITY THREAT IN RANGE ]
> [ Do not engage ]
Bianca ignored it and stood up.
“Perfect timing.”
Evelyn stopped a few feet away, calm as ever.
Ward looked like he already regretted bringing her.
Bianca pulled the note from her pocket and held it up.
“Found this at the outpost. My mom wrote it. She said not to trust you. And that the System is the only thing keeping the door closed. Care to explain?”
The cafeteria went quiet.
Even the other kids eating at distant tables seemed to sense the tension.
Evelyn studied the note for a long moment.
“Your mother was brilliant. And very afraid. She saw the fractures accelerating and believed certain people — including you — could make them worse. Or stop them. She didn’t trust anyone by the end. Not even me.”
“Yeah?” Bianca’s voice sharpened.
“She also said you can’t be trusted. So maybe she was right.”
Evelyn’s expression didn’t change, but something tired flickered in her eyes.
“The System inside you isn’t a simple tool, Bianca. It’s trying to protect you. But protection has limits. The fractures are getting stronger. Your mother was taken because she got too close to understanding what’s on the other side.”
Bianca felt the pressure behind her eyes again — that faint blue hum.
The System reacted instantly.
> [ Information Restricted ]
> [ Do not trust her words ]
“See?” Bianca pointed at nothing.
“Even my brain parasite agrees with my mom.”
Maya stood up beside her, small but steady.
Evelyn looked at Maya for the first time.
A faint, almost sad smile touched her lips.
“The child sees clearly.”
Ward stepped in, voice low.
“This isn’t helping. We need to focus on finding Bianca’s mother, not fighting.”
Bianca stared at Evelyn a moment longer, then exhaled sharply.
“Fine. But the next time you show up with cryptic old-lady wisdom, I’m walking away. And if I find out you had anything to do with my mom disappearing, I won’t be this polite.”
She grabbed Maya’s hand and headed for the exit before anyone could reply.
Once they were in the hallway, Maya squeezed her fingers.
“You’re really brave,” the younger girl said quietly.
Bianca laughed once, short and tired.
“I’m really scared and pretending. Big difference.”
Later that night, after Maya had fallen asleep again on the couch, Bianca stood at her window watching the snow.
The System finally spoke, softer than usual.
> [ Your mother’s warning was… partially accurate. ]
> [ Evelyn Voss knows more than she says. But she is not the enemy. Not yet. ]
Bianca whispered back, “Then what is the enemy?”
The System hesitated.
Longer than it ever had.
> [ The thing that took her. ]
> [ And it is already looking for you. ]
A single faint blue crack appeared on the window glass for half a second before vanishing.
Bianca didn’t flinch this time.
She just stared at the empty space where it had been.
“Then it can keep looking,” she said quietly.
“Because I’m looking too.”
She climbed into bed, exhaustion pulling at her bones, but her mind stayed wide awake.
Somewhere out there her mother was still alive.
Somewhere out there the Void was watching.
And somewhere inside her head, the System was choosing its words very carefully.
Bianca closed her eyes.
Tomorrow she’d push harder.
Tomorrow she’d stop waiting for answers.
The snow kept falling, soft and silent, covering the mountain like a secret.
But secrets never stayed buried for long.