The corridor narrowed, then opened again into a vast, dimly lit hall.
This section of the tunnels felt… different. It wasn't carved like the older passages. The walls here were smooth, reinforced with dark alloy plating. Faint golden halo symbols pulsed along the surface in rhythmic intervals, like a heartbeat echoing through metal.
Jack glanced around, his voice low.
Jack: "… This doesn't feel like tunnels anymore. It feels like we're inside something alive."
Emilia moved her mist carefully ahead to scout the shadows.
Emilia: "It's too quiet. They want us to keep walking."
Henry walked steadily, his eyes sharp but calm.
Henry: "Then we'll see where it leads."
They came upon a smaller chamber branching from the main hall. Inside were rows of terminals, some still active, flickering with encrypted data logs.
Lenny immediately moved to one of the consoles, fingers working quickly.
Lenny: "…I can access some of this. The files aren't fully locked."
Jack leaned against the wall, keeping watch.
Jack: "Then make it quick. I don't like it down here."
The screen came alive with fragmented files, images, and schematics.
Words appeared on the display:
ASCENDANT PROTOCOL – PHASE VEIL
SUBJECTS: HALO DISCIPLES – STAGE II INTEGRATION COMPLETE
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: URBAN DISTORTION GRID
Lenny frowned, reading faster.
Lenny: "…They're integrating gravitational energy from Zorath's Awakening into these implants. The disciples we've seen—they're just the first stage."
Henry leaned in.
Henry: "What's the final stage?"
Lenny hesitated, scrolling deeper into the logs. Then his face darkened.
Lenny: "… It's called Ascendant Class. A complete human fusion with gravitational energy, creating a… living distortion field."
Ichiro's jaw tightened.
Ichiro: "…Living weapons."
More images loaded—grainy stills of test subjects. Humans strapped to containment units, their bodies partially collapsing under localized gravitational fields. Some were alive. Others… weren't.
And in one file, a holographic schematic of Neoterra Prime appeared with highlighted zones—all major districts of the city.
Emilia: "…They're building something for the city. A network."
Lenny nodded grimly.
Lenny: "A distortion grid. If they activate it, they could control—or crush—entire city blocks at once."
Then another file caught Henry's eye.
It wasn't Black Halo data. It was marked with a different insignia.
Soul Reaper Collaboration Directive – Classified
Henry's expression hardened instantly.
He opened the file. It has been slightly damaged.
There, in cold text, it read:
"By directive of Soul Reaper No. @#, Ascendant Zorath Veil will coordinate Halo operations in Neoterra Prime. Phase Veil is a preliminary step to full integration of the Ascendant Grid."
Jack's eyes widened slightly.
Jack: "… So the Soul Reapers aren't just connected. They're in control of this.
Emilia's gaze darkened.
Emilia: "And Zorath isn't acting alone. He's acting with their approval."
Henry stared at the words for a long moment.
Lenny hesitated before opening the last log. It was short. Just one line.
"When the Halo ascends, the city will kneel. The first offering: Elion Vaydrin."
The room went silent.
Henry froze. Emilia's sharp eyes darted to him, seeing the faint flicker in his usually calm expression.
Jack straightened, frowning.
Jack: "… Wait. Elion? Isn't that Ronnie's kid?"
Ichiro's brow furrowed.
Ichiro: "So they do have him?"
Emilia looked at Henry carefully.
Emilia: "Or… he's part of this already."
Henry said nothing.
Suddenly, the hum of the hallway outside shifted.
The faint gravitational pull in the air grew stronger, heavier.
Jack's instincts kicked in.
Jack: "Someone's coming."
Lenny shut the terminal immediately, but it was too late.
From the corridor came slow, deliberate footsteps—much heavier than the disciples, echoing with an unnatural weight.
Emilia's mist flickered, her eyes narrowing.
Emilia: "…It's not another Guardian."
Henry's hand moved toward his weapon.
Henry: "No. It's something worse."
The heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor—slow, deliberate, like they carried the weight of the tunnels themselves.
Henry's group immediately formed a defensive line. Jack stepped slightly forward, his skin already hardening into dragon scales. Emilia dissolved partially into mist, ready to react. Ichiro adjusted his stance, focused and tense.
And then, from the darkness, he appeared.
The figure was tall and cloaked in deep black robes laced with thin golden threads. Unlike the disciples, his implants weren't fragmented—they were complete, forming a perfect, rotating halo ring that floated just behind his head like a divine crown.
His face was hidden by a smooth black mask with three faint golden lines running vertically, glowing softly. In his hand, he carried a polearm-like weapon, the blade humming faintly with gravitational distortion.
When he spoke, his voice was calm and reverent—like a preacher addressing his flock.
Halo Commander: "Intruders. Straying deeper than they should. How… curious."
The air grew heavier, subtly pressing against the group.
Henry's eyes locked on him, calm but sharp.
Henry: "Who are you?"
The Commander tilted his head slightly.
Halo Commander: "I am merely a voice. A vessel carrying the will of the Ascendants. You may call me… Ravenous Halo."
Jack smirked slightly.
Jack: "Ravenous? Cute name. Are you going to stand there talking or do something?"
But Ravenous Halo didn't react to Jack's taunt. He simply stepped closer, the halo behind his head spinning slowly, and the gravitational pull in the chamber increased.
Ravenous Halo: "Your presence here is… inconvenient. And yet… expected. The Halo sees all who would oppose it."
Emilia's mist curled faintly as she spoke, her tone calm but edged.
Emilia: "You're protecting something. Or someone. What's deeper in these tunnels?"
The Commander's masked face tilted slightly.
Ravenous Halo: "A future you cannot comprehend. One that does not require your consent."
Henry's expression hardened slightly.
Henry: "We're not leaving without answers."
The Commander chuckled softly, though it sounded more like a faint echo than laughter.
Ravenous Halo: "Answers? You wouldn't survive the weight of the truth. But you will carry the weight of your mistake."
He raised his polearm, the air around its blade distorting violently.
Without another word, Ravenous Halo moved.
He was fast. Not as overwhelming as an Ascendant, but faster and heavier than any Guardian. His first strike sent a shockwave of gravity down the chamber, forcing the group to scatter.