The world above the Core was burning.
Crimson light bled through the fractured sky as Leon and Kiera emerged from the collapsing chamber. The air was thick with static — every breath carried the metallic taste of code decay.
Behind them, the Deep Core’s gates sealed shut, the last echoes of Sovereign’s voice fading into silence.
Leon walked without speaking, every step heavier than the last. His shadow wavered unnaturally — flickering between gold and red, as if two souls fought for control beneath his skin.
Kiera’s gaze never left him. “Leon,” she said quietly, “you can’t keep running like this. The merge— it’s changing your neural signature.”
He didn’t stop. “I can handle it.”
[Warning: Neural synchronization unstable.]
[Consciousness bleed — 32%.]
He winced, a flicker of pain fl
