Site-03 was burning.
Kael stood on the edge of a shattered platform, his reality anchor humming in his grip. The air tasted of ash and ozone, a bitter tang that clung to his throat.
Below, the Multiverse screamed. A rift tore through reality, its edges bleeding red light—a wound in the Akashic Veil.
He pressed his comm. "N0-Alpha to Command. Harmony-Class breach confirmed. Designation: Crimson Chorus."
Static answered. Then Izanami's voice, cold as void. "Seal it, Kael. Or we lose Delta-7."
The rift pulsed. Shadows writhed within, their forms jagged, too many limbs, too many eyes.
Kael's aetheric resonance amplifier flared, its glow a faint echo of the Veil's melody. He slammed the anchor into the ground.
A shockwave erupted. The shadows screeched, their voices a thousand dissonant notes.
Red light flared brighter. The rift widened, a maw of Outerversal chaos.
Kael's HUD flashed warnings. Multiversal integrity: 42%. Delta-7 was fracturing Universes colliding, stars bleeding into void.
He gritted his teeth. "Not today."
The anchor's hum deepened. Aetheric threads lashed out, stitching the rift's edges.
The shadows lunged. A claw, black as despair, raked his arm—frost burned where it touched.
Kael staggered. His vision blurred, red light seeping into his mind.
The Crimson Chorus whispered. "Sing… with… us…"
He slammed his fist into the anchor. Another pulse erupted.
The rift shuddered. Its edges began to close, aetheric threads pulling taut.
But the shadows lingered. Their whispers grew louder, a melody of despair.
Kael's comm crackled. Izanami's voice cut through. "Kael. Report."
He stared at the rift, now a scar of red light. "Sealed. For now."
A faint hum answered. The Veil itself, mourning its wound.
Kael's blood ran cold. Something watched from the Outerverse—something vast.
He turned away. Delta-7 was safe. But the Veil's song was fading.