The sky turned silver.
Alex was in the training room, pushing his body to its limits, when the light shifted. The familiar blue of the afternoon sky bled into a cold, metallic sheen. The clouds froze in place, suspended like paintings on a canvas.
"Sebastian!" Alex yelled, already running toward the command center.
The team was already there, staring at the tactical display. The silver light was everywhere, seeping through the walls, through the windows, through everything.
"What is it?" Elena asked, her hand on her weapon.
Alex felt the darkness surge inside him. The power of the Absolute. The Original. The First. The Core. The Void. The Zero. All of it was responding to something. Something that recognized him.
"The Ultimate," Alex said, his voice tight. "It's here."
A figure emer
