Round 51

Hera moved forward to study Silra's sketch over her shoulder, her brow furrowed with concern. "What exactly is your plan here, Silra? This looks like it could get dangerous." Her voice was steady, practical, the kind of tone that had kept convenience store shelves stocked through countless late-night shifts.

Jeane approached from the other side, her movements fluid and graceful despite the tension in the air between them. "Silra," she said, her voice smooth and enticing, though an edge of frustration crept in around the edges, "you have skills I don't possess—this is simply a request for collaboration, nothing more." Her crimson eyes traced the lines of Silra's body as the engineer moved, noting how muscles flexed beneath skin with each movement. She retrieved a spare set of blueprints from her bag—a detailed technical drawing that would have made any architect weep with envy.

The clock ticked onward, time slipping away like sand through fingers no matter how tightly they clenched. The building's demands hung heavy in the air, unspoken but impossible to ignore. Abby watched from her corner, anxiety twisting in her gut as she waited for someone—anyone—to break the tension and find a solution that didn't involve... that.