Chapter 32: The Calm Before The Storm
The hologram's glow painted Ava's study in shades of blue, green, and faint gold, casting eerie shadows across the bookshelves and desk clutter. Her blanket, still half-folded on a chair, looked like some tiny beast hunched in the corner under the shifting light. Ava sat with her elbows on the desk, chin propped in her palms, staring hard at the spinning globe of Novalis.
"Okay," she said slowly, "so we've established that the planet's basically going to… I don't know, molt? Regrow? Go super Saiyan? Awaken a new Gear? Something like that."
"Incorrect metaphor," Cream Puff said at once. "However, your phrasing is not entirely without merit. The energy appears to be—"
"Whoa, stop right there." Ava raised both hands. "Nope. I saw the jargon about to fly out of your mouth. Keep it simple. Pretend I'm a toddler with crayons and very limited patience."
