The return to Earth wasn't a hero’s welcome. It was a descent into a planet-wide identity crisis. When Leo shattered the Origin Crystal, the "re-upload" was 99.9% successful. But in a population of billions, that 0.1% margin of error created millions of "Echoes"—people who received the wrong memories, or worse, memories from multiple lives.
Six weeks after the Lunar Mission, the Vance-Thorne Spire had been converted into the Global Stabilization Center.
The Scramble: A New Pathology
Elara stood in the medical bay, staring at a brain scan that looked like a shattered stained-glass window. Beside her, Lucian was on a secure line with the newly formed "Global Council," defending their family from a dozen simultaneous lawsuits and three declarations of war.
"It’s not brain damage, Lucian,"
