The news hit the command center like a physical blow. General Ironwood hadn't just stepped down; he had disappeared into the "Deep Roots"—the dark, unmapped sub-levels of the Needle where the tree’s ancient consciousness met the ruins of the original hospital basement.
"He took the prototype Kinetic Core with him," Mei said, her voice trembling as she stared at the empty docking station in her lab. "Xin, that core was meant to stabilize the weather patterns for the 14th Earth. Without it, he’s carrying enough raw energy to level the city."
"He's not trying to blow up the city, Mei," Xin said, grabbing his worn traveling cloak. "He’s trying to find a war. He doesn't know how to live without one."
Xin and Pip descended into the darkness. The air grew thick and damp, smelling of wet ear
