The moment the monitoring screens in the command center turned into a blinding white flash of static, a chilling silence fell over the deck. Dr. Thorne let out a slow, triumphant exhale, her finger still resting on the manual override.
But that silence didn't last long
Seraphina didn't scream. A scream would have been too human, too weak for what she had become. Instead, the temperature in the command center plummeted to absolute zero in a heartbeat. Frost began to spread across the holographic displays, cracking the glass.
"You... you killed him," Director Vance gasped, clutching the railing. "Thorne, that was a Sovereign-class asset! You've doomed us all!"
"I've saved us," Thorne replied coldly, not looking back. "The blast will seal the rift. Pendragon was a virus that needed to be—"
CRACK.
The reinforced floor beneath Seraphina's feet shattered. She turned toward Thorne, and for the first time, everyone saw the true horror of the Void-Silver Eyes. They weren't just glowing; they were bleeding shadows.
"You think a spark of anti-matter can extinguish the Void?" Seraphina's voice didn't come from her throat; it echoed from the vents, the walls, and the very souls of the soldiers in the room.
Through the Symbiotic Link, Seraphina felt the truth. She felt Arthur's heart—not stopping, but accelerating into a rhythm that defied physics. She felt the "Spear" he had created.
She walked toward Dr. Thorne. Every step she took caused the high-frequency pulse rifles of the guards to disintegrate into dust. The guards tried to move, but they found their shadows had pinned them to the floor.
"You didn't kill him, Doctor," Seraphina whispered, leaning over the console. Her face was inches from Thorne's, and the grey mist from her eyes began to dissolve the doctor's ultraviolet lenses. "You just gave him the keys to your house. And now... he's coming to collect the rent."
"Security! Detain her!" Thorne screamed, stumbling back in terror.
But no one moved. The Paladins of the GDF were frozen, their eyes wide as they looked at the deep-sea sonar. A rhythmic, heavy thud was vibrating through the entire fortress.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It wasn't a heartbeat. It was the sound of the ocean floor being stepped upon.
"He's in the Rift," Seraphina said, a dark, beautiful smile appearing on her face. "And he's looking back at you through my eyes. Can you feel it, Doctor? The hunger?".