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A metallic ping ricocheted off the reinforced door—a sound I now recognized as drone ammunition. I heard Khaaz’s fierce growl in response, the protective fury in it making my skin flush despite the danger. That skittish, gentle giant who still shied away from looking me directly in the eyes turned into something primal and deadly when it came to keeping me safe.

I focused back on the screen, scanning the symbols and algorithms. Certain command structures looked eerily similar to those I’d seen in my work—too similar to be coincidence. I pulled up another screen, this one containing what appeared to be research files.

Twenty seconds.

“Project Kridrin,” I read aloud, my eyes widening as images flashed across the screen. Humanoid figures, anatomical diagrams, genetic sequences.

“Holy shit.”

The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow. The Kridrin weren’t just aliens. They were humans—or at least, they had been. Humans from another dimension, another version of space-time. Humans who had evolved differently, adapted differently. The file mentioned “dimensional divergence approximately 100,000 years ago.”

Which explained why the facility was responding to me at all. Why the keyboard accepted my touch. Why I could read some of the code.

Fifteen seconds.

A deep boom rattled the entire facility. Through the security feed in the corner of my screen, I caught a glimpse of Zehn in his Beast Battle form, a nine-foot nightmare of muscle and fury, tearing a sentinel drone in half with his bare hands. Even through the grainy footage, I could see the fierce determination in his eyes. He’d promised to protect me, and he was keeping that promise with every fiber of his massive being.

Ten seconds.

My attention snapped back to the countdown. I had to stop it, but how? If the Kridrin were humans from another timeline, then maybe...

“DNA authentication,” I murmured, spotting a small panel beside the main console. It looked almost like a fingerprint scanner, but larger. Without hesitating, I pressed my palm against it.

The panel glowed blue beneath my hand, a tingling sensation spreading up my arm as it scanned me. For a terrifying moment, nothing happened.

Five seconds.

Four.

Three.

The countdown froze. The red numbers blinked once, twice, then shifted to green.

“DNA sequence recognized. Welcome back, Administrator,” a mechanized voice announced, the gender-neutral tone echoing around the chamber. “Facility defense protocols disengaged.”

I sagged against the console, relief making my knees weak. “Administrator? What the hell?”

The screens before me shifted, displaying new information. Project files. Research data. And my own DNA sequence, spinning in a double helix beside a comparative analysis with something labeled “Kridrin Prime Sample.”

The match wasn’t perfect—not even close—but there were enough similarities that the ancient system had accepted me as one of its masters. Somewhere in my genetic code, I carried markers that this facility recognized as authorized. As if my ancestors had been here before. Or built this place.

My mind reeled with the implications. If the Kridrin were humans from another timeline, and this facility recognized my DNA, then what did that mean about Earth’s history? About my own lineage?

Outside, I could still hear the sounds of battle. The drones hadn’t stopped their attack.

“Computer,” I called out, hoping the voice recognition would work as well as the DNA scanner had. “Identify active security measures.”

“Perimeter defense systems active. Nineteen sentinel units currently engaged.”

Nineteen? And my two leopard men were holding them off? A rush of pride mingled with fear.

“Deactivate all sentinel units,” I commanded. “Authorization...” I hesitated, then took a chance. “Authorization: Everly Flores.”

For a moment, there was silence.

“Voiceprint insufficient,” the computer responded. “Secondary authentication required.”

Damn it. I glanced at the DNA panel, which still glowed with my handprint. “Use DNA authentication as secondary.”

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