Everybody was crammed in there—Kai, Noah, Ash, Vianne, East, Mick, Cherry, Celine. Pong stood dead center, laptop open, hands doing that little jittery thing people get when they're about to drop a bomb.
"I don't know who sent this," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "It showed up outta nowhere. Secure server. No name, no nothing."
The laptop screen flickered, real dramatic. One file. Just one.
"Project Hollow: Kai — Voice Recording"
Pong shot a look at Kai, then at Noah. Honestly, you could feel the panic crawling around the room.
"You all need to hear this."
She hit play. And then—Baek's voice. Cold as a freezer burn, snaking out of those speakers.
"I want the world to hate him. That pretty face, that innocence—it'll crack. And when it does, we rise. Use Scarlet. Use the fans. Use the girl if you have to. I don't care if he breaks—Kai is the key. Noah? Collateral."
