The red alarm wailed across the sector unit, pulsing through every corridor. The council's sensors had recognized the cosmic energy almost immediately—the Void had fully exposed itself.
"Code red! I repeat, code red! Initiate lockdown in the area!"
A sector unit officer shouted, voice sharp over the comms. This time, taming the Void meant no hesitation; every measure had to be taken seriously. Hours earlier, civilians had been evacuated to neighboring cities. Sleek transport ships had sped the process, and in less than a day, Manchester was emptied. Now, phase two began.
All the Izigans from every substation in England stood positioned in a massive circle around the infected city. The sight was staggering: warriors stationed at even intervals across the landmass, hands raised toward the sky in unison.
"Construct Reality: Merge in Reality—Dome of Doom!"
Their voices thundered together, shaking the air. A transparent force field expanded outward, sealing the city under a towering dome that rose hundreds of meters high. The Void remained inside, still housed in the ruined Delina Kitchen.
This construct didn't shift anything to an alternate dimension—it reshaped reality itself within the dome. Physical objects bent and warped, ready to be used as weapons or barriers. But cosmic beings like the Void wouldn't be touched.
"As usual, it's rising," Terry muttered, staring at the trembling data on his screen. "Cosmic energy already at twenty-five thousand meganuwits. Looks like it's stabilizing—it found a host. Damn it, I should've listened to Kenneth yesterday. He told me to keep a closer watch on England, and now…"
"Well, we're watching now," Stella cut in. Her eyes stayed locked on the feed, calm but tense. "Forget about Kenneth for the moment. Can it be interrupted? Run a scan for potential protective toxins around the building."
Terry slid his hand over a round mouse. The radar detector hummed, sweeping glowing rings across the display of the infected zone. Data pinged back instantly—radiating energy all around, most of it from the vines. The scanner marked unstable fields along certain areas, with patches weaker than the rest.
"It's not defending itself. Almost looks… dormant."
"Hibernation?" Stella asked, narrowing her gaze at the screen.
Terry leaned back, uneasy. "Whatever it is, the council's already asking why you're not there yet. You three better move. And don't forget the last time—you know how slick the Void can be. Unpredictable."
"I know that." Stella's voice was sharp, but steady.
This mission had been assigned to the Furious Three alone. She was already suited up—black and gold armor wrapping her like a second skin, gleaming with the Nebula clan's green crest on her chest. She tightened the metal bands on her arms, the sword strapped in its stealth sheath humming faintly. The Furious Three's suits were different from standard Izigans—black, gold, and white, tailored only for them.
Tim and Kenneth entered the room, drawing stares despite their reputation. Their suits always had that effect—too sharp, too alive, as if they were more than armor. Kenneth's crest glowed blue, the symbol of the Earth Izigans. Tim's bore black and white, a mark of his command.
The suits enhanced their height with subtle extensions, their steps near silent, light as air. From the outside the armor looked heavy, but it felt no more cumbersome than a regular shirt. Every part of it was designed for battle efficiency.
"Alright," Lord Tim began, turning to the group. His voice carried authority but also something softer—hope. "We have what we need from here. The rest, we'll gather on-site. Terry, Kate, Sam—you'll feed us updates on energy movement. If the Void scrambles the readings, we'll fight with what we've got. We seal it here, once and for all."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep the room. "We win this together. No effort wasted. Do your best."
His words steadied them. This wasn't their first clash with the Void. Last time had been a disaster. They hadn't understood it then. But this time—they knew.
"We're heading out," Tim said. He strode from the room, Stella and Kenneth falling in step behind him. Their hope was high—but Kenneth's heart faltered. His mind was divided, gnawed by doubt. Yesterday's warning from Cole still weighed heavy.
The Previous Day
Ryan and Kenneth sat in a quiet tea shop. The place smelled of roasted beans and baked bread. Morning light filtered through tall windows, painting the few customers in a soft glow. They sat opposite each other, mugs of steaming coffee between them.
"Even if this sounds unreal, I have to tell you—for the sake of time itself," Ryan said, eyes flicking around the nearly empty shop.
Kenneth watched him warily. Ryan raised his hand, and a pulse of invisible energy wrapped the table, muting their voices from outside ears.
"So what's so serious this time? Another scheme to tame the Void?" Kenneth asked, skepticism in his tone. His gaze stayed fixed on the mug instead of Ryan. He and Stella were still shaken after what had happened to Sir David weeks ago.
"If you're still torn up over that, it's fine—it's human," Ryan said. His face hardened. "But there's something you need to know. Something's changed. Whether it's happening now or later—I can't say. Since I touched that strange glass, I've seen things I shouldn't. The visions are fading, but the memory of them…" He trailed off, shaking his head.
Kenneth frowned. "Wait. You're saying you saw the future? Is that it?"
"When I touched the glass that day, I saw you die first—killed by the Void. I prevented it. We lost, but not in the way I saw. The glass rewrote the outcome. I carried it, thinking I could change the rest, but Sir David's fate… it was already written. I couldn't stop that."
Kenneth sat stunned. Ryan's words were hard to believe, but he knew Ryan—he always had a reason, even for his mistakes.
"I don't understand, Ryan. What are you saying now?"
"The glass—its origin's unknown. But it held power not of this dimension. I lost it to the Void, and when it absorbed it, it rewrote time itself. Tomorrow, the Void will rise in England. Your team will face it." Ryan inhaled slowly, steadying himself. "And one of you won't return."
A chill froze Kenneth's spine. His face drained of color.
"What do you mean? Ryan, what is this?"
"It's hard to accept, but it can be prevented. You should've died long ago—I stopped it. Now it's your turn. Don't think only of saving yourself, or the outcome will lock in. One of you will die. But you know this now. That gives you the power to change it."
Kenneth's hands tightened around the mug. "How? If I focus on saving them, I'll lose focus on myself. Either way I'm distracted!"
His words tumbled with fear and doubt. Ryan's calm didn't waver.
"Correct the flaws. Watch the enemy—but also your team. Fate is not fixed. Knowledge breaks the seal. Trust your instinct, not the plan. You're the one meant to change this. You can't fail."
Kenneth fell into silence. Ryan's voice echoed in his head, heavy with both warning and hope.