Aboard the Dawn's Edge, the lights died completely. The air grew thin. Cold.
Yu stirred. Not from fear. From a pull. The unstable Vortex, lashing out, resonated with the dormant Catalyst pathways in her biology. Her eyes snapped open. Not normal brown. Glowing gold.
[CATALYST REACTIVATION: EMERGENCY OVERRIDE]
She saw the incoming tendril of erasure, phasing through decks. Saw Wu Gen trying to shield her with his body. Saw Li Na's terrified face.
"No." Yu's voice was calm. Ancient.
She stepped forward, placing herself between the tendril and her friends. Raised her hands. Not in defense. In invitation.
The tendril struck her.
Instead of unmaking her, it splintered. Golden light erupted from Yu's skin, meeting the erasure energy. Not negating it. Transforming it. The chaotic Void energy dissolved into shimmering, harmless particles of light that drifted like snow.
[ANOMALY DETECTED: CONSUMER ENERGY NEUTRALIZED]
[YU STATUS: CATALYST BIOLOGY ACTIVE - UNKNOWN EVOLUTION]
Yu collapsed, the glow fading. But alive. Unharmed.
In the Core Chamber, Lin Mo felt it – the Vortex's recoil, its confusion. [CONSUMER FRAGMENT STABILITY: 58%]
He redoubled his efforts. The Elder blade shards burned in his hands, weaving reality back into place. The lattice sealed. The Vortex shrank, contained once more.
Tomb-01 shuddered violently. Then fell silent.
[TOMB-01 STATUS: STANDBY MODE]
[VOID SEED STABILITY: 85%]
Lin Mo slumped against the sealed lattice, exhausted. They'd survived. But Yu…