The silence was the worst part.
Alex stood in the command center, staring at the tactical display. Three weeks had passed since the defeat of the One. Three weeks of peace. Three weeks of rebuilding. Three weeks of waiting for the next threat to emerge.
But nothing had come.
The darkness inside him was quiet. Too quiet. Like it was holding its breath. Waiting for something.
Sebastian appeared in the doorway. "Alex. We have a visitor."
Alex turned. "Who?"
"She says she's a messenger. From the First."
Alex felt a chill run down his spine. "The First? The one the Primus warned us about?"
Sebastian nodded slowly. "She says she has a message. An important one."
Alex was silent for a long moment. Then he said, "Let her in."
The woman who entered was tall. Regal. Her eyes burning with a
