ISABELLA — THE WORLD THAT TREMBLED
The first tremor came at dawn.
The second ripped through the earth by mid-morning.
By noon, the sky itself had changed color not the blue of peace, not the gray of storm, but a burnished gold that pulsed faintly, as if the world itself had a heartbeat.
Isabella stood at the edge of the ravine, wind tearing through her hair, her coat whipping around her body. From this height, she could see it all the valley below, the crumbling city in the distance, and the faint red glow that spread like veins through the earth.
"Transmission lines," Liam muttered beside her, scanning the readouts on his handheld. "Not natural. The entire power grid's being hijacked."
"By her," Isabella whispered. "By Subject 02."
He nodded grimly. "Every city connected to the Eden network is lighting up. She's expanding exponentially adapting faster than any human system can counter."
