Beneath the scorched remains of Ash Fortress, deep in the cryo-vault where no light reached, Lucian breathed again.
His wounds sealed. His eyes opened—glowing faintly.
[System Core Integrity: 11%][Neural Override: Active][Identity Verified: LUC-PRIME]
He smiled.
"They think it's over."
Lucian's Gambit
In the dark, Lucian limped toward a sealed chamber. Inside: an ancient console—pre-Dominion tech, hidden even from Raine.
He keyed in a sequence.A black holo-screen bloomed.
[Contacting VULTARI NODE 3]
[Request: Priority Diplomatic Interface]
Moments later, a jagged face appeared—nonhuman, regal, hateful.
"Lucian. You failed."
Lucian chuckled. "I adapted."
"You let the specimen fracture the protocol."
"Because I needed her to."
The alien hissed. "Explain."
Lucian's voice lowered. "She's the first. The only one who broke the code. She's what you wanted, isn't she?"
Silence.
"I'll deliver her. And in return... I want a seat at the table."
Meanwhile: Building the Rebellion
Elsewhere, Raine lay on a steel slab as Nira patched her wounds.
The fortress had collapsed, but the old relay systems were still partially functional.
[Rebooting Independent Node Cluster...]
[Connection Found – Code: WRAITH-CELL-07]
Nira stared.
"These guys... they fought Lucian ten years ago. Went dark since."
Raine nodded. "Let's bring them back."
The transmission buzzed, then clicked.
A masked voice spoke:
"Thought you were dead."
"Close enough," Raine replied. "But we've got bigger problems."
Two Paths Diverge
Raine: Uniting old enemies to protect a broken world.
Lucian: Bargaining with the architects of humanity's destruction.
Both racing toward a future shaped by one question:
Who holds the Kill Switch when the sky falls?