The sun had barely touched the skyline of Neo-Lagos when alarms blared across the command compound in Grid Alpha. Crimson alerts flashed through every datapad, AI assistant, and sky-projected interface. For the first time in months, the Tech Nation's nerve center descended into chaos.
Jaden Cross jolted awake in his private quarters—still dressed in the combat gear he hadn't taken off since returning from the Delta-Red Rift skirmish. His hair clung to his forehead, damp with the sweat of recurring nightmares—visions of Virelia in a decaying lab, cradling something monstrous.
"Emergency override," he commanded, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lyra's holographic form blinked into view immediately.
"Two major breaches," she said, her voice clipped with urgency. "Sector 12 has gone dark—comms, power, everything. And the outer perimeter on the Zephyrian corridor has been breached. A signature matching Virelia's tech has been confirmed."
