The crack widened with a grinding metallic shriek, dust exploding outward as the pod split down the center like a crooked opening mouth. The air shifted — cold first, then unnaturally warm, a pulse of energy rippling across the ground hard enough to rattle debris. Daniel stepped forward instinctively, aura rising to a sharp blue flare around him as a distorted silhouette uncurled from the darkness inside the pod. It wasn’t tall — not like the Architect — but compact, dense, its movements disturbingly quiet for something made of metal and ancient power. A single red optic flared to life, scanning the wreckage, scanning the sky, then locking onto Daniel with a chilling precision that made every hair on his body stand up. Adrian swore under his breath and reached for his weapon; Natalie backe
