The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension as James and his team raced against the clock. Every passing second felt like a beat closer to disaster, each tick bringing them nearer to the imminent wipe Cerberus had orchestrated. Emily's revelation about Project Phoenix—a catastrophic data wipe set to obliterate everything they'd worked for—hung over them like a dark cloud.
James glanced at the timer counting down on the screen, now reading 23:42:17. They had just under a day to stop what could be the end of their entire organization, maybe even the beginning of a total collapse of the network they'd created. The System, though fragmented, was still connected in certain parts, and the remnants could still be helpful, if only he could unlock them in time.
