Silence has weight.
After the screen went black, it didn’t feel like the end of something.
It felt like the beginning of rot.
The control room lights hummed softly overhead. Guards stood frozen, waiting for orders that didn’t come.
No one moved.
Because no one understood what had just happened.
Victor Blackwood — architect of legacy, designer of monsters — had been dragged into the lake by a system designed for obedience.
And Noah…
Noah had pulled the lever.
Lena’s breath was shallow.
“Call the dock,” she said.
Her voice sounded foreign in the room.
Alex didn’t respond.
He was still staring at the screen.
At the words:
HEIR ASCENSION INITIATED.
She stepped closer to him.
“Alex.”
Nothing.
She touched his hand.
His skin was cold.
“You didn’t program that,” she whispered.
