The Gamescape office hummed with an uneasy energy as Ayan stepped into the debriefing room. The walls were lined with holographic displays of dreamscapes they'd navigated in past cases—mystical forests, sprawling dystopias, and labyrinths made of memory fragments. This room had always been a place of clarity for Ayan, a haven of logic and process. But today, it felt different.
Vlada leaned against the console, her dark eyes locked on the projection of Layla's case. Haider sat at the table, his fingers tapping a rhythmic pattern on its surface, a telltale sign of his growing impatience. Nitya was seated at the far end, uncharacteristically quiet, her eyes scanning pages of code and dream fragments on her tablet.
"Let's hear it," Ayan said, taking a seat. His tone was firm but calm, masking the residual tension from the encounter.
