The deafening silence of the ruined entry foyer was heavy, suffocating, and entirely absolute.
The brilliant, blinding fluorescent lights bolted to the cavernous concrete ceiling flickered erratically, their power grids heavily disrupted by the massive, localized damage Ren had inflicted on the Citadel's internal wiring. The pristine white epoxy floor was completely obscured beneath a chaotic, slick swamp of black hydraulic fluid, shattered Kevlar, and pooling, bright red arterial blood. The heavy, metallic stench of vaporized ceramic armor mixed heavily with the sharp, acidic tang of ruptured exo-suit batteries, creating a highly toxic, choking atmosphere.
Ren walked directly down the center of the devastation.
