They sat in the corner of the safehouse, a single hallway light providing the only illumination. Dynamo leaned against a wall, arms crossed, while Hiroto quietly sharpened a knife on a whetstone. Aiko sat on the floor, knees pulled to her chest, still damp from sweat and fear.

  Finally, Hiroto broke the silence.

  “What happened back there, Aiko? When you blacked out?”

  Aiko chewed her lip, trying to find words. “It was like… like I was sinking. Like being pushed down into a lake, only darker. Couldn’t breathe. Thought I was gonna die.”

  Dynamo tilted her head. “And then?”

  Aiko’s eyes flicked up to the light bulb. “Then these colors showed up. Purple first, then… all of them. Like somebody shook a giant kaleidoscope and dumped it over me. It wasn’t scary anymore. It was… I dunno… beautiful, I guess.”

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  She hugged her knees tighter. “And there was this word. It was just… there. Lex Aeterna.”

  Hiroto’s sharpening stopped. The scrape of steel against stone cut off sharp. “Lex Aeterna,” he repeated under his breath.

  Aiko frowned. “I don’t even know what it means. It just popped into my head. Loud. Like church bells. Like it wanted me to follow it.”

  Dynamo’s brow furrowed. “Or like it wanted to own you.”

  “I don’t think so!” Aiko shot back, more defensive than she meant to sound. “It felt… safe. Like it was trying to pull me up instead of letting me drown.” She hesitated. “And I thought of Mom and Dad. I thought… maybe if I went with it, I’d see them again.”

  Her voice cracked.

  Silence pressed down again.

  Hiroto finally set the knife aside. His face was unreadable, but his voice was low and careful. “Lex Aeterna isn’t something you just stumble into, Aiko. It’s… dangerous. And powerful. If it’s reaching for you, then Malcolm won’t be far behind.”

  Dynamo snorted. “Figures. Creepy Latin magic words and glowing rainbows. This keeps getting better.”

  But she didn’t smile.

  Aiko dropped her chin onto her knees, staring at the floor. “I don’t care what it is. I just know it didn’t want me to die. And if that’s dangerous… then maybe I need dangerous right now.”