The sphere pulsed with a rhythm that matched Lena's heartbeat.
She stood frozen at the edge of the pedestal. The old woman watched her with cold eyes. Lyra's grip on her arm was desperate.
"You can't do this," Lyra whispered. "If you touch that sphere, you become part of it. You won't come back."
"Someone has to stop it."
"Not you. Not alone."
The old woman stepped forward. "The seal is already in motion. The wounds are being drawn in. In hours, the process will be complete. There is nothing you can do to stop it."
Lena looked at the sphere. Then at Lyra. Then at the old woman.
"You built this," Lena said. "You know how it works. How do we deactivate it?"
"We don't. We watch. We wait. We let humanity be saved."
"You're saving humanity by sacrificing innocent beings. Lyra. Amara. E
