The bunker’s core chamber was a collapsing hellscape, the alien portal’s green vortex roaring as it devoured reactors, steel, and hope. Jace’s body was a wreck—ribs shattered, blood soaking his tattered scav-suit, nanites burning his hand where he gripped the core’s slot. The Codex’s command seared his mind: Choose: Free the legion or save the child. The child, glowing with nanites, stood before him, clutching a seventh Ascension Key fragment, its voice his father’s, lost in the Collapse: “Son, you must let us go.” Lena, bloodied, gripped her fading fragment, her eyes desperate. Zara, collapsed and bleeding, clung to life. Elara, arms charred, fought the sparking control panel to shut the portal. The alien entity loomed, its liquid-metal tendrils clutching three Key fragments, its voice a chorus: “Prototype, your code completes the harvest.”Host neural integrity: 26%. The timer ticked: 23:30:47. Mission: Stop the harvest. Jace’s vision blackened, the Codex’s human voice—“You are t

The bunker’s core chamber was a maelstrom of collapsing steel and nanite fire, the alien portal’s green vortex roaring as it devoured reactors and hope. Jace’s body was a broken shell—ribs shattered, blood soaking his tattered scav-suit, nanites burning his hand where he gripped the hidden console. The Codex’s command seared his mind: Choose: Activate the failsafe or save your sister. The swarm-woman, her face a shimmering echo of his older sister Mira, lost in the Collapse, stood before him, clutching a ninth Ascension Key fragment, her voice soft: “Jace, you’re the last.” Lena, bloodied, fought beside him, her fragment dim. Zara lay collapsed, barely breathing. Elara, arms charred, clung to the sparking control panel, flames licking her. The alien entity loomed, its liquid-metal tendrils fused with the vortex, three Key fragments pulsing. The mirror-Jace, the Spire’s true prototype, smirked, its eighth fragment glowing, blade raised.Host neural integrity: 21%. The timer ticked:

The bunker’s core chamber was a collapsing vortex of fire and nanite chaos, the alien portal’s green roar devouring steel and reactors, its pull a merciless tide. Jace’s body was a broken husk—ribs shattered, blood soaking his tattered scav-suit, nanites scorching his hand where he gripped the hidden console. The Codex’s command burned in his mind: Choose: Reset and lose Lena, or fight and lose Earth. The man, glowing with nanites and clutching an eleventh Ascension Key fragment, stood before him, his voice Jace’s father’s, lost in the Collapse: “Son, I’m the Spire’s will.” Lena, bloodied, her form flickering as the legion’s anchor, fought beside him, her fragment dim. Zara lay still, her breath barely there, blood pooling. Elara, arms charred, clung to the sparking console, flames consuming her. The alien entity loomed, its liquid-metal tendrils fused with the vortex, three Key fragments pulsing. The mirror-Jace, the Spire’s true prototype, sneered, its eighth fragment glowing, bl

The bunker’s core chamber was a collapsing abyss of nanite fire and shattered steel, the alien portal’s green vortex roaring as it devoured reactors and all hope. Jace’s body was a broken husk—ribs pulverized, blood soaking his tattered scav-suit, nanites scorching his hand where he gripped the hidden console. The Codex’s command seared his mind: Choose: Merge with the Spire or save your beginning. The child, glowing with nanites and clutching a thirteenth Ascension Key fragment, stood before him, its voice his own, young and unbroken: “Jace, I’m your beginning.” Lena, her form flickering as the legion’s anchor, fought beside him, her fragment dim, blood dripping. Zara and Elara were gone, their bodies lost to flames and blood in the chamber’s chaos. The alien entity loomed, its liquid-metal tendrils fused with the vortex, three Key fragments pulsing. The mirror-Jace, the Spire’s true prototype, sneered, its eighth fragment glowing, blade raised.Host neural integrity: 12%. The tim

The bunker’s core chamber was a collapsing maelstrom of nanite fire and shattered steel, the alien portal’s green vortex roaring as it devoured reactors and all remnants of hope. Jace’s body was a broken wreck—ribs pulverized, blood soaking his tattered scav-suit, nanites scorching his hand where he gripped the hidden console. The Codex’s command seared his mind: Choose: Merge and become the Spire, or save your truth. The reflection, a timeless mirror of Jace, stood before him, glowing with nanites and clutching a fifteenth Ascension Key fragment, its voice his own, whole and unbroken: “Jace, I’m your truth.” Lena, her form flickering as the legion’s anchor, fought beside him, her fragment dim, blood pooling. Zara and Elara were gone, their bodies lost to flames and blood in the chamber’s chaos. The alien entity loomed, its liquid-metal tendrils fused with the vortex, three Key fragments pulsing. The mirror-Jace, the Spire’s true prototype, sneered, its eighth fragment glowing, bla