The return of the 4,000 souls should have been a time of peace, but the universe rarely allows a vacuum to stay empty. As the Ark docked with the Sentinel Gate, a massive, obsidian rift tore through the space between dimensions. It wasn't the Void, and it wasn't Entropy. It was the System Correction—a cold, celestial force triggered by the sudden imbalance of energy. The universe decided that the 100th Earth’s return was an error that needed to be deleted.
"The gate is collapsing!" Mei screamed, her hands blurring over the controls. "The energy from the Ark is too much! The System thinks we’re a virus, Xin. It’s sending a 'Wipe-Pulse' to reset the entire district!"
Outside the viewing port, the sky didn't turn dark; it turned white. A grid of sterile, blue light began to descend from t
