The chamber trembled violently.
Red warning lights flashed across the underground facility, painting the steel walls in sharp crimson as alarms screamed through the corridors.
Everyone stood frozen.
Alexander.
Daniel.
Sophia.
The guards.
Even Alexander's father, standing at the control platform above the chamber, had gone completely still.
Because the core had changed.
The golden light that once pulsed wildly had become darker now—deeper, richer, almost alive.
It no longer looked unstable.
It looked aware.
Daniel swallowed hard and stared at the glowing chamber below.
"I really hate it when mysterious underground death machines start looking intelligent."
No one answered him.
Because at that exact moment—
The core opened.
A blinding explosion of light burst through the chamber.
The force knocked several guards backward. The metal floor shook violently beneath their feet.
Sophia grabbed the railing to steady herself.
Alexander stepped forward instinctively.
