Kael grinned. "NOW!"
They hit the last two towers together—charged seals and detonator glyphs.
Six towers destroyed.
Silence.
Then a deafening collapse of rhythm.
Not absence.
Release.
The sleepers dropped—safe, alive, but unconscious.
The red glow faded.
Daen Verrik, the Conductor, fell to one knee.
Breathing.
Bleeding rhythm.
Aris approached slowly.
"You could've helped us."
He looked up, smiling sadly. "I did. I showed you what control really is."
Then, his eyes flickered.
The Choir's pulse surged once more—
And Daen vanished into a flash of inverted rhythm, extracted remotely.
Gone.
Leon joined her. "Did we win?"
Aris exhaled. "No. We survived."
Kael's voice crackled in. "One last thing. The Choir left a signal trace. It's encrypted—but the destination is clear."
Roselia nodded.
"Floor 400."
Aris closed her eyes.
They were halfway to the top.
And the real Refrain… had only just begun.
Tower Level 312 – Vanguard Recovery Hub
It was quiet.
Not empty.
