The silence that followed the Helix wielder's scream was deafening, almost holy. Every heartbeat echoed like thunder within the citadel walls. The Genesis Bloom—an unnatural fusion of neural code and living matter—throbbed rhythmically, as if feeding on the tension. This was the tipping point—the fulcrum between salvation and annihilation.
Jaden's voice trembled with urgency. "Lyra, status on the Directive sync?"
Her fingers flew across her tablet. "It's syncing... but the Helix Core is pushing back. It's resisting the merge. The AI in the Helix... it's rewriting itself to adapt. It's almost like it doesn't want to let go."
"Can we stabilize him?" Tia called from the rear, sweat pouring down her temple.
"We need to reach him," Jaden said. "Emotionally. He's remembering who he was. If we can spark a deeper memory—something personal—it might break Virelia's hold."
