Hours passed as the team regrouped in the safehouse. Kael reclined against the wall, exhausted but alert. His mark still pulsed faintly, a reminder of the energy he had exerted and the price he had paid.
Aria was reviewing intelligence reports, her holographic display filled with readings of Null activity across the city. "There's something new," she said, her voice tense. "Energy signatures indicate a high-ranking operative approaching. Stronger than anything we've encountered before. The scale of this threat… it's unlike anything we've dealt with."
Ryken's expression darkened. "High-ranking? You mean… the Null commander?"
Veyra's silver eyes gleamed with a mixture of caution and calculation. "Yes. And they are not alone. This operative has the ability to manipulate corrupted Revenants, bend them to their will. Their arrival will force you to confront everything you've learned about the Nexus, control, and yourself."
Kael's chest tightened. He could sense the magnitude of the approaching force—the pulse of corruption spreading subtly, the shadows thickening even outside the city. This was no longer a localized threat; the Null Order was escalating.
"We need to be ready," Kael said, voice steady despite the exhaustion. "No mistakes. No hesitation. We fight as one, anticipate their moves, and—"
Veyra interrupted, her tone sharper. "You will need more than anticipation. You will need mastery. Control beyond what you have shown, or the Null will exploit your weaknesses. And they will come—soon."
A subtle vibration ran through the safehouse, a faint distortion in the air. Kael felt it instinctively: the harbinger of the Null commander's arrival. The pulse of corruption, strong and deliberate, resonated through the Nexus and his mark.
The city outside lay quiet, unknowing, but Kael and his team understood: the next wave was coming. And this time, the fight would be far more dangerous.
Kael clenched his fists, his eyes glowing faintly with the Nexus energy. He understood now that the battles ahead would not only test his skill—but his very humanity, his morality, and the strength of his team.
The calm had fractured.