Shadows of Deception
The banquet hall shimmered faintly as Nitya moved through the dreamscape, her senses heightened. The President's subconscious was like a taut wire, ready to snap at the slightest pressure. She exchanged a brief glance with Vlada, who had positioned herself near the grand piano, her fingers tracing invisible keys as she subtly manipulated the triggers embedded in the dream's fabric.
Haider's voice buzzed through the comm. "Nitya, something's shifting. Defenses are spiking."
She didn't need the warning. The once-subtle figures in the periphery were becoming more defined—agents of the President's subconscious, their expressions eerily blank, their movements deliberate.
A chill ran down her spine as one of the shadowy figures approached the President's table. It leaned in, whispering something inaudible, and the President's head snapped up, his sharp gaze scanning the room.
