Horror painted every face.
The Eclipse recruits who'd witnessed Valencia's death stood frozen. Marcus's blaster hung loose in his grip. Chen's eyes were wide, unblinking. These weren't soldiers—they were hunters who'd signed up to fight beasts, not twelve-foot space monsters that could bisect people with casual swipes.
Noah's hand went to his ear.
"All units, listen carefully." His voice cut through the comms. "Do not engage the Harbingers. I repeat—do not engage. If you encounter one, you run. Find an escape route. That's an order."
He didn't wait for acknowledgment.
Noah exploded forward.
BOOM.
The shockwave hit first—a concussive blast that sent stones bouncing upward. Before they could fall, a secondary wave caught them, sent them higher. The permafrost cracked in spiderweb patterns radiating from where Noah had been standing.
