"Fourth anchor required."
The announcement echoed throughout the chamber.
The words seemed to freeze time itself.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
The unstable heartbeat of the Core filled the silence.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each pulse sent tremors through the underground facility.
Cracks continued spreading across the walls.
Chunks of stone crashed from the ceiling.
The entire structure was dying.
And somehow—
Things had just become even more complicated.
Emily stared at the glowing sphere.
Her mind refused to accept what she had heard.
"A fourth anchor?"
Her voice sounded small against the chaos.
"That's impossible."
Evelyn looked equally stunned.
"It shouldn't be."
The first child stood beside the Core.
Golden energy flowed around his transformed body.
His glowing eyes reflected the unstable light.
Even he seemed confused.
Lucien ran a hand through his hair.
"This changes everything."
Daniel laughed nervously.
"Wonderful."
Nobody found the joke amusing.
