Nyx screamed until her voice broke.
Silver fractures tore across her skin like living scars, Null Weave unraveling faster than her body could endure.
[Ally Status: CRITICAL — Life Imprint Destabilizing]
Alpha dropped to his knees beside her, Shadow Sense flaring to its limit.
He saw it.
Not blood.
Not organs.
Her pattern.
The thing that made her Nyx was tearing itself apart.
Rex shouted, "We're losing her!"
Alpha's hands trembled.
For the first time since awakening, he hesitated.
Then the ground answered.
Not violently.
Patiently.
A pressure rose from deep beneath Dockside—ancient, restrained, aware.
The lights dimmed.
The air thickened.
Nyx's scream cut off as her body went rigid.
[External Presence: Legacy Construct — AWARE]
Alpha stood slowly.
"I said no," he spoke aloud, voice steady.
The presence listened.
[Legacy Construct Query: Why?]
The words didn't echo. They pressed directly into his mind.
Alpha closed his eyes.
"Because chains, even golden ones, are still chains."
Silence.
Then—
[Legacy Construct Response: ACCEPTABLE]
The pressure didn't withdraw.
It shifted.
Something opened.
Not a binding.
A channel.
[Clean Ascension Route: Forced Stabilization Available]
Alpha felt the rule bending—not breaking.
He placed his hand over Nyx's chest.
"Stay," he said simply.
Shadow Sense dove inward, not pulling power from below—but redirecting stress away.
Like a dam relieving flood pressure without claiming the river.
Nyx gasped.
The silver fractures froze.
Then began to reweave—uneven, raw, but intact.
[Null Weave: Stabilized — Mutated Variant]
The presence withdrew—satisfied.
Not owned.
Not obeyed.
Acknowledged.
Nyx collapsed into unconsciousness, breathing deep and steady.
Rex stared, shaking. "What… what did you do?"
Alpha sat back, exhausted.
"I didn't take power," he said. "I took responsibility."
[Rule Broken: Absolute Non-Interference]
[Rule Forged: Guardian Anchor]
Outside, the city trembled—just once.
People paused in the streets, hearts racing for reasons they couldn't name.
Deep beneath Dockside, something old settled back into sleep.
Not forgotten.
Watching.
Nyx stirred hours later, eyes opening—no longer silver.
Now dark, reflective, deep.
She looked at Alpha.
"You didn't bind," she said.
"No," Alpha replied.
She swallowed. "Then I'm… changed."
Alpha nodded. "So am I."
[Bond Type Updated: Shared Consequence]
[Power Base Progress: 60%]
The Registry felt it.
Every sensor screamed anomaly.
Chairman Lu stood slowly from his seat.
"He didn't submit," Lu said quietly.
"He didn't bind," an aide whispered.
Lu's eyes darkened.
"He created a third path."
Above Dockside, clouds gathered.
Not for rain.
For attention.