Task-Split, T-3,000,000 cycles
Three silver glyphs glowed on Maya's holomap, marking the Loom's three dark sectors: West Ring, Far North, and Core Bastion.
Team A (Aiden + Cassie): West Ring — recover the Volcano Prism blown clear by the collapse, plus the fractured Mirror-Shard splinters still radiating corruption.
Team B (Maya + Lin Xi + Nephis): Far North — reseat the Soul and Dawnlight Prisms, then forge a stabilising Qi-circuit.
Team C (Two auxiliary Guardians): Hold the Coral/Temple node they'd just re-ignited; defend Cassie's new safeguard thread.
Aiden clasped forearms with Maya. "No heroics—just come back."Maya's tired grin showed more resolve than humour. "Save some Loom for us to fix."
Descent to the West Ring
Aiden and Cassie rode a ribbon of dawn-light that Coral and Temple still projected. Beneath their feet endless night whirled, threaded by broken strands.Cassie's lantern-brooch flickered in the gale. "Telemetry says the Volcano Prism's energy signature is three klicks inward—buried under fallen gears."
Aiden tightened his grip on the Heart Core. "Once we have Volcano, we can brute-force the remaining sockets."
As they neared the coordinate, a ruin of twisted frame pieces came into view—charred beams covered in ember-hued code. In the wreckage's heart pulsed a dull amber glow: the Volcano Prism, half-embedded in slag.
But they weren't alone. A serpentine construct—Data Leviathan—coiled around the wreck. Its scales were corrupted thread-links; its breath, packets of shredding code. Every heartbeat, it siphoned the Prism's glow, swelling larger.
Cassie's eyes widened. "If it reaches full modulation, it'll detonate and take half the Loom with it."
Aiden's pulse hammered. "We split it: I distract; you free the Prism."
Leviathan Assault
Aiden sprang forward, Heart Core blazing crimson. He hurled pulses of pure resonance at the Leviathan's snout; the beast hissed, rearing back as code-scales flared. Cassie darted along a collapsed girder toward the buried gem.
Maya (comms, static-riddled): Progress? We've reached North socket—Soul Prism seated, but Dawnlight under assault!
"Working on it!" Aiden replied, rolling aside as the Leviathan's tail slammed the deck, ripping more threads loose.
He found a shard of the Mirror-Shard on the ground—still tainted but reflective. Gripping it like a dagger, he caught the next sweep of the cyber tail, bouncing packets back into the creature's own body. Segments of corruption shorted, dropping twitching links to the floor.
Cassie reached the Volcano Prism, bracing her lantern's dawn-beam to cut slag away. But each slice triggered feedback—embers leapt to her armguard, burning code-brands. She gasped but kept carving.
Aiden drew Leviathan farther, vaulting over loosening beams, Heart Core flashes lighting the path. Then the beast shrieked—code-flames fanning out toward Cassie.
"Aiden—!" She flung the last of the slag free; the Volcano Prism popped loose, but a whip of data-fire seared across her side. She crumpled, Prism clutched to her chest.
Aiden roared, hurling the Mirror-Shard dagger into Leviathan's eye cluster. The construct convulsed; corrupted scales cascaded like rust-rain. He dove, pulling Cassie clear as the monster coiled in a death-spasm—and exploded, hurling shrapnel of null-data that dissolved mid-air.
Dampened Victory
Smoke of glitched pixels drifted in silence. Cassie's breathing was ragged; code-brands spider-webbed along her ribs, lantern-beam flickering sporadically. Aiden knelt, pressing the Heart Core over the burns. Its pulse forced the rogue data outward—but not enough. "We need Lin Xi's Qi cleansing, fast."
Lin Xi (comms): Not possible—our position compromised! We're pinned by Sentinel-Clones. Dawnlight Prism still unsecured.
Maya: Thread integrity dropping again—Prime Weaver deploying Weft Cannons against Coral node. Whoever's free, we need backup!
Aiden's gaze swept the dark ring. Volcano Prism glowed hot in his hand—power they desperately required at the loom's hub—but Cassie could barely stand. "We can't leave her or the Prism behind."
A tremor rolled through the broken frame—far off, but ominous. Loom sectors continued to peel away like petals in fire.
Impossible Choice
Cassie grabbed Aiden's wrist, eyes fever-bright. "Take Volcano to Maya… I can hold here."
"Not happening," he growled.
"You're the anchor, Aiden. If Coral fails and Volcano isn't in the array, everything ends." She pressed a charred data-ampule into his hand—her lantern's core. "Use this to bridge Dawnlight until Lin Xi reaches you."
Aiden's throat closed. "Cassie—don't."
She managed a weak smile. "Heroes share pain, remember? Go."
Reluctantly, he slung the Volcano Prism into a carry socket on his harness. With a final squeeze of her hand, he sprinted toward a filament bridge flickering to life—destined for the northern sector and Maya's beleaguered team.
Behind him, Cassie knelt, lantern shell dim but resolute, guarding the wounded ring against the dark.
Cliffhanger
As Aiden vanished into the strobing dark, the Loom shuddered a long, low moan. Above, the Prime Weaver's constellation mask pivoted toward Cassie's location; unseen code-filaments slithered along the broken ring.
And far ahead, in a corona of failing light, Maya's team fought beneath Weft Cannons that hammered the Coral safeguard—threads snapping faster than hope could mend.