The revelation hit them like a physical blow. The Collectors weren't attacking the lighthouse directly; they were aiming for its lifeblood – the Ley lines that fed the Root, anchoring the Lighthouse's Heart to the Earth itself. This was a strategic move, colder and more calculated than any previous assault.
"They're faster this time," Kael stated, peering through the lens, his voice tight. "And they're splitting into smaller, more agile units. Three distinct vectors, all converging on the coast."
"Show me the Ley line convergence points," Elias commanded, his mind racing. His grandmother's journal contained rough diagrams, but Aris, with her scientific instruments, could pinpoint them precisely.
Aris quickly pulled up a holographic map on a salvaged tablet from the Serenity, projecting it onto the lantern room floor. Three distinct points on the island glowed, pulsing faintly with a vibrant green on the map – subterranean energy nodes where the Earth's natural currents converged.
"These are critical," Aris explained, tracing the glowing points. "They act like acupressure points for the planet's energy. If they disrupt these, the flow to the Root will be severed. The Lighthouse's Heart will wither."
"We can't defend all three," Kael said grimly, looking at the limited personnel – himself, Elias, Aris, and the still-recovering Vance and Lena downstairs.
"Then we divide," Elias stated, his voice firm, a cold resolve settling in his heart. "I'll take one. Kael, you and Aris take another. We need to focus on the ones they're hitting hardest."
Aris looked at him, concern etched on her face. "Keeper, you're still exhausted. And you're our only direct link to the Echo. If something happens to you…"
"If the Ley lines are severed, it won't matter," Elias cut her off. "The lighthouse dies. We all die. This is the only way." He looked at Kael. "Can you arm yourselves? Any defensive gear from the Serenity?"
Kael nodded, already moving towards the stairs. "Some non-lethal sonic deterrents. Flare guns. And a few cutting torches if we need to seal off a breach. We weren't built for combat, but we can make noise."
"Good," Elias said, grabbing the orb and the petrified wood relic. "We need to make noise. We need to disrupt them. Not destroy, but fragment. Create enough dissonance that they can't establish a firm hold on the Ley lines."
He quickly consulted Aris on the map. "Which point is the most vital? The one that feeds the Root most directly?"
Aris pointed to a location on the north side of the island, a rugged stretch of coastline characterized by ancient, wind-battered rock formations. "This one. It's the primary conduit. If they breach here, the Lighthouse's Heart will lose most of its immediate replenishment."
"I'll go there," Elias declared. "You two take the eastern point. It's a secondary, but still significant, nexus. Keep them from establishing a foothold. Disrupt their focus."
"What about Vance and Lena?" Aris asked.
"They stay in the lighthouse," Elias replied, his voice leaving no room for argument. "It's the safest place. Kael, rig up whatever automated defenses you can here. They won't hit the lighthouse first, but if we fail, they will come for it."
Within minutes, they were moving. Kael and Aris, armed with salvaged equipment, headed towards the eastern shore. Elias, clutching the orb and relic, pushed his weary body towards the northern point, guided by the internal compass of the Lighthouse's Heart, which pulsed with increasing alarm.
The air grew heavy with a cold, oppressive presence as he neared the northern coast. The land itself seemed to groan beneath his feet. He could see them now – three colossal Collectors, silent and terrifying, their forms like swirling vortexes of deeper darkness, already pressing against the ancient rock formations. They were attempting to phase through, to sink into the Earth, to sever the Ley lines with their very being.
He knew he couldn't fight them directly. Not three of them, and not in his current depleted state. But he didn't need to destroy them. He just needed to play the Song. To create enough dissonance to prevent them from completing their sinister task. This was a war of essence, not brute force. And the fate of the lighthouse, and perhaps the world, rested on his ability to make them uncomfortable.