Alina staggered as the Rift labyrinth dissolved around her, yet she knew she wasn't completely free. The residual energy from the ancient laboratory still clung to her, whispering fragments of impossible visions. Every step she took felt like walking on the edge of a blade.
The holographic projection of the guardian's awakening loomed in her mind, shimmering with power she could scarcely comprehend. The trap had not only tested her intellect but had forced her to confront her deepest fears: failures, losses, and the possibility of never returning to reality.
She focused on her quantum phantom, drawing strength from it. Light fractured around her as she split into multiple projections, each one testing a different path through the disorienting space. The virtual corridors twisted unpredictably, echoing with faint laughter and whispers that seemed both distant and inside her own head.
One false step and she would be trapped—lost in the labyrinth for eternity, a ghost among phantoms. Her pulse raced, yet her mind remained sharp. She learned to anticipate the subtle patterns in the Rift, reading the faint hums and vibrations of the illusion's architecture.
Finally, she reached the core of the illusion. A pulsing orb of light hovered before her, the heart of the phantom trap. Alina extended her hand, letting her quantum energy merge with it. The orb resisted, writhing with chaotic energy, but slowly, she bent it to her will.
Reality snapped back violently. The laboratory walls reformed around her; the air was heavy with the scent of ozone and old metal. She fell to her knees, breathing hard, clutching the data she had extracted. The information revealed the full extent of Shadow Net's plan: the Soul Core would be used in three days to awaken the guardian—a power beyond any conventional weapon.
Alina rose, determination hardening her features. She understood that she could not waste another second. The floating city's survival depended on her next move, and Shadow Net would not wait.
With the knowledge of the labyrinth in hand and the lingering hum of quantum energy coursing through her, she stepped into the night, prepared to confront the looming threat. Every shadow in the city could conceal an enemy, and every second brought the countdown closer to catastrophe.