Apocalypse System: I Evolve by Devouring Everything

Void Collective Awakens

"Emma! Wake up, Em! Don't scare me, you hear me?!"

Sienna shook Emma's shoulders roughly. The girl was lying on a pile of concrete debris that still felt hot. The sky above them was no longer white or red, but thick gray, filled with billowing smoke from collapsed buildings.

"Ugh... so loud, Sis..." Emma groaned, clutching her head that felt like it was splitting open.

"You're alive? Thank God! I thought you evaporated along with Jonathan's crazy explosion earlier!" Sienna pulled Emma up to sit, her eyes scanning their surroundings warily.

"Jon... where is he? He was right in front of me, and then..." Emma stopped, her eyes widening as she looked at her own hands. Residual purple light still glowed faintly beneath her skin.

"He's gone, Em. He transferred the Alpha System to you. Basically... his consciousness... everything is inside your body now."

"What do you mean put everything inside?! He's not dead, right? Answer me, Sienna! Jon couldn't have died just from an explosion like that!" Emma screamed, her voice hoarse.

"Are you listening to me? He sacrificed himself for you! Now that system, that power, it's all inside your body!" Sienna gripped Emma's arms, her face filled with frustration.

"Impossible... he wouldn't just leave me alone in a place like this..." Emma muttered, tears beginning to fall.

Suddenly, a heavy, cold voice echoed—not from the air, but from inside Emma's own skull.

"You're such a crybaby. I told you, I just moved houses, I didn't die."

Emma flinched so hard she almost fell over. She gasped for air.

"Jon...?" her voice trembled. "Is that... really you?"

"Alive. Still in one piece too," the voice answered casually. "Just a change of address."

Emma's eyes instantly welled up. "Don't joke around... I thought you—"

"It's not my time to die yet."

"Em?" Sienna took a step back, her face tense. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's Jon! He's inside my head!" Emma patted her temples in panic. "He's talking to me!"

"Quiet, kid. Don't scream like a lunatic. Sienna can't hear me, only you can. I'm part of your system now."

"What the hell?! I don't want you as a ghost in my brain! Get out right now!"

"Emma, seriously, what's wrong with you?!" Sienna touched Emma's forehead. "Do you have a fever? Or did the radiation scramble your brain?"

"Sienna, Jon is here! He's talking! He said he became part of the system!" Emma tried to explain frantically.

Sienna stared at her for a few seconds... then let out a long sigh. Only then did she mutter, "You mean... he became a voice assistant inside your head? Like Siri?" Sienna frowned, looking skeptical but also hopeful.

"Siri my foot. Tell her not to get too close, her aura is messing with my synchronization."

"He says you shouldn't get too close! He says your aura is bothering him!" Emma repeated innocently.

"Wow, this really is Jonathan. Still alive and still arrogant as hell!" Sienna snorted, but there was a glint of relief in her eyes. "So what now? Where are we? This isn't the harbor from earlier, is it?"

Emma looked around. They were in the middle of a totally destroyed city, but the atmosphere was very alien. There were no monster corpses, no 'Cleaner' soldiers, just a terrifying silence.

"This is... Sector 0," the voice sounded tense. "Their main experimental control center."

Sienna frowned. "Experiment?"

"The Architects tried to burn us to the ground. But ever since I merged with you... they lost our signal."

"Sector 0? Jon says this is the experiment control center, Sienna," Emma repeated.

"Control center? Does that mean if we can find the dimensional drive core, we can get out of here?" Sienna started looking excited.

"Don't dream. The guards will be here soon. Em, look at your two o'clock. Behind that glass building."

Emma turned quickly. From the shadows of a leaning building, a massive machine resembling a mechanical spider began crawling out. Its eight eyes glowed bright red, scanning every corner of the street.

"What is that now?! It's huge!" Emma started trembling.

"That's a Sentinel. An anomaly extermination unit. If they find us, we'll be considered failed products to be erased!" Sienna drew her sword again, though its light was much dimmer now.

"So what do we do?! I don't know how to use this power!"

"Close your eyes, Em. Leave everything to me. I'm going to borrow your body for a sec."

"Borrow my body?! No way! What if you don't give it back?!"

"Stop whining! Do you want to live or become cosmic dust?! Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay! Just do whatever as long as we survive!"

Sienna watched Emma's body suddenly go stiff. The girl's hair slowly turned to shimmering silver, and when she opened her eyes, her pupils had turned deep purple, radiating a predator's aura that Sienna knew all too well.

"Jon? Is that you?" Sienna whispered softly.

Emma—or Jonathan inside Emma's body—smirked slightly. She cracked her knuckles in an incredibly arrogant manner. "Miss me? Hold that thought, I need to take care of this giant cockroach first."

Emma's voice changed drastically, becoming heavy and full of authority. She dashed forward with a speed that made the asphalt beneath her feet explode.

BOOM!

Emma smashed one of the Sentinel's legs with her bare hands. The metal shattered—but energy cracks spread up Emma's arm. Her bones creaked softly, and thin blood seeped from under her fingernails.

"Crazy... so strong..." Sienna gaped at Emma's new power.

The Sentinel emitted a loud hum, then fired red lasers from all eight of its eyes simultaneously.

"Don't fight me with laser toys, it's boring, you know!" Jonathan (in Emma's body) leaped into the air, spun agilely, and landed right on top of the machine's head.

He plunged his hand straight into the Sentinel's skull casing, ripping out a pulsing blue energy core.

CRACK!

The Sentinel instantly died completely, collapsing and crashing into the building beside it until it crumbled. Jonathan jumped down and landed casually in front of Sienna.

"Done. Too easy," he said, tossing the energy core aside.

"You're really crazy, Jon. That's Emma's body, don't use it so roughly!" Sienna protested, though she felt relieved.

"This body has 100% synchronization now. It's much stronger than my old rusty body. But..." Jonathan suddenly staggered, clutching his head.

"But what?! Are you okay?!"

"Energy... I need energy. Emma's body isn't used to holding Legion power for too long. I have to rest inside first," Jonathan's voice began to fade, and Emma's eyes returned to their original color.

"Ugh... my stomach is so hungry..." Emma collapsed, her face very pale. "Jon... is he sleeping again?"

"Looks like it. He really drained your energy," Sienna helped Emma up. "We have to find a safe place. If there's one Sentinel, there must be thousands more coming."

They walked into a destroyed shopping mall, looking for a place to hide. Inside, it was very dark and damp. Emma kept holding her growling stomach.

"Sienna, do you have any food? I feel like I'm going to pass out..."

"Hang on, Em. I'll try looking in that convenience store ahead. You wait here, don't go anywhere!" Sienna ran toward a store with toppled shelves.

Emma sat alone on the dusty floor. She tried calling Jonathan again, but there was no answer. The silence made her feel incredibly lonely.

"Em... listen to me..."

Jonathan's voice appeared again, but this time it sounded very weak, almost like a whisper.

"Jon? Are you still awake? Why is your voice so quiet?"

"The Architects... they're starting to block my signal. There's a traitor among us, Em. Sienna's energy... something is off. I'm not sure she's completely on our side."

Emma froze. "What do you mean?! Sienna has been helping us all along!"

"She... she's not the Sienna you think she is. She has her own agenda. I can feel a different Alpha energy from her body. She... she's waiting for the moment to steal the Legion Core from you."

"Impossible! Sienna is good! She was crying when you disappeared!"

"That's acting, Em. In this artificial realm of the Architects, tears can be faked as easily as weaving an illusion. Stay alert... argh!"

Jonathan's voice vanished with a painful burst of static. Emma clutched her head, confused and scared. Shortly after, Sienna returned with a few packs of biscuits and a bottle of mineral water.

"Here, Em! We're so lucky there were some chocolate biscuits left. Eat up!" Sienna handed over the food with a friendly smile.

Emma took the biscuits slowly. Her hand paused before taking a bite.

Her gaze moved up to Sienna's face—lingering slightly.

"Thanks, Sis..." Emma took the biscuit with a trembling hand.

"What's with that look? Still dizzy?" Sienna sat beside her, rubbing Emma's back gently.

"Sienna... you really want to get me out of here, right? You won't leave me like Jon did?"

Sienna went silent for a moment. Her smile faded slightly, replaced by an unreadable expression. "Of course, Em. We're a team. I need you, and you need me. Especially... I need what's inside your body to defeat the Architects."

That last sentence made the hair on Emma's neck stand up. "I need what's inside your body..."

"O-oh, I see..." Emma pretended to be calm while chewing her biscuit.

"Hey, did you hear that? Sounds like someone walking," Sienna suddenly stood up, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.

Emma strained her ears. Sure enough, the sound of rhythmic footsteps came from the mall entrance. Not machine footsteps, but human footsteps wearing heavy shoes.

"Who's there?! Come out or I'll cut you down!" Sienna shouted.

From the darkness, a very familiar man emerged. He wore a tattered lab coat, but his face still looked neat.

"Professor Silas?!" Sienna's eyes widened.

"Hello, Sienna. Hello, New Subject," Silas smiled calmly, as if they were meeting at a cafe. "You're really impressive to have made it to Sector 0. I'm very proud."

"What are you doing here, Old Man?! Want to give us more injections?!" Sienna readied herself to attack.

"Relax, Sienna. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to give a warning. The Jonathan inside that girl's body... he is no longer the Jonathan you knew."

"What do you mean?!"

"He has been completely contaminated by the Legion virus. Right now, he is slowly absorbing Emma's consciousness. If you don't separate them in the next hour, Emma's soul will be erased forever, and Jonathan will be reborn as an uncontrollable monster," Silas explained with a very convincing tone.

Emma choked on her biscuit. "W-what?! Jon... wants to erase my soul?!"

"Don't believe him, Em! He's a liar!" Sienna shouted.

"Feel free to check her system status yourself. Emma, try calling Jonathan right now. See if he answers truthfully or if he tries to control your motor nerves instead," Silas challenged.

Emma tried to call out in her heart. "Jon? Is what Professor Silas saying true?"

No answer. However, Emma felt her hands start to move on their own, reaching for her own neck.

"Sis! My hands are moving on their own! Sienna, help!" Emma screamed in terror as her hands began to choke her own neck with incredible force.

"Emma! Jon, stop! Are you crazy?!" Sienna tried to pry Emma's hands away, but she wasn't strong enough.

"That is the survival instinct of the Alpha system. It feels threatened, so it's trying to destroy its host so it can move to another vessel," Silas walked closer, pulling out a small tube filled with golden liquid. "This is the only thing that can stop him. But, you have to inject it directly into Emma's heart."

Sienna took the tube with trembling hands. She looked at Emma, who was gasping for air, then looked at Silas. "If I do this... Emma survives?"

"Emma survives, but Jonathan will be destroyed forever. Which do you choose, Sienna? Your monster boyfriend, or this innocent girl?"

Emma looked at Sienna with a pleading gaze. "S-sis... please..."

Sienna slowly raised the needle tube. Her hands trembled, but her gaze actually became firmer, as if a decision she had held back for a long time had finally taken shape.

"I'm sorry, Jon..." she whispered softly.

"But this world needs a savior, not a monster."

In one breath, she thrust the needle down toward Emma's chest.

Emma froze. Her body refused to move, while the cold metal tip drew closer—close enough that she could see her own reflection on its surface.

But the shadow beneath Emma's body suddenly writhed.

Something moved down there.

A pitch-black hand burst out from the darkness of the floor and grabbed Sienna's wrist before the needle could touch the skin.

The grip was brutal.

The sound of cracking bone echoed, making Sienna stop breathing.

Not Emma's hand. Not Jonathan's hand either.

A faceless black shadow figure stood behind Emma, holding Sienna's arm with a force that cracked the woman's wrist bones.

"Who are you?!" shouted Silas, who looked genuinely shocked for the first time.

The shadow didn't answer. It only let out an incredibly terrifying laugh, a blend of hundreds of human voices that had perished in that city.

"We... are... the truth..."

Suddenly, the entire mall shook violently. The floor beneath them shattered, and black water began overflowing from underground, swallowing everything. Emma fell into the black water, and as she sank, she saw Sienna and Silas also getting swallowed by the same darkness.

Emma's consciousness screen suddenly flashed a final message before she completely passed out:

[WARNING! A THIRD PARTY HAS ENTERED THIS REALITY SECTOR.]

[IDENTITY: THE VOID COLLECTIVE.]

[SYNCHRONIZATION FORCIBLY DISCONNECTED.]

Emma's world went completely black, leaving only the whispering voices of thousands of people calling her name in the endless darkness.

In that darkness, something moved slowly, as if just realizing Emma's presence within its territory. An alien pressure squeezed her consciousness from all directions, heavy and cold, making the Alpha System in her body vibrate unstably for the first time.

Not the Architects.

Not the Legion either.

Something else... was staring back.

"Emma! Wake up, Em! Don't scare me, you hear me?!"

Sienna shook Emma's shoulders roughly. The girl was lying on a pile of concrete debris that still felt hot. The sky above them was no longer white or red, but thick gray, filled with billowing smoke from collapsed buildings.

"Ugh... so loud, Sis..." Emma groaned, clutching her head that felt like it was splitting open.

"You're alive? Thank God! I thought you evaporated along with Jonathan's crazy explosion earlier!" Sienna pulled Emma up to sit, her eyes scanning their surroundings warily.

"Jon... where is he? He was right in front of me, and then..." Emma stopped, her eyes widening as she looked at her own hands. Residual purple light still glowed faintly beneath her skin.

"He's gone, Em. He transferred the Alpha System to you. Basically... his consciousness... everything is inside your body now."

"What do you mean put everything inside?! He's not dead, right? Answer me, Sienna! Jon couldn't have died just from an explosion like that!" Emma screamed, her voice hoarse.

"Are you listening to me? He sacrificed himself for you! Now that system, that power, it's all inside your body!" Sienna gripped Emma's arms, her face filled with frustration.

"Impossible... he wouldn't just leave me alone in a place like this..." Emma muttered, tears beginning to fall.

Suddenly, a heavy, cold voice echoed—not from the air, but from inside Emma's own skull.

"You're such a crybaby. I told you, I just moved houses, I didn't die."

Emma flinched so hard she almost fell over. She gasped for air.

"Jon...?" her voice trembled. "Is that... really you?"

"Alive. Still in one piece too," the voice answered casually. "Just a change of address."

Emma's eyes instantly welled up. "Don't joke around... I thought you—"

"It's not my time to die yet."

"Em?" Sienna took a step back, her face tense. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's Jon! He's inside my head!" Emma patted her temples in panic. "He's talking to me!"

"Quiet, kid. Don't scream like a lunatic. Sienna can't hear me, only you can. I'm part of your system now."

"What the hell?! I don't want you as a ghost in my brain! Get out right now!"

"Emma, seriously, what's wrong with you?!" Sienna touched Emma's forehead. "Do you have a fever? Or did the radiation scramble your brain?"

"Sienna, Jon is here! He's talking! He said he became part of the system!" Emma tried to explain frantically.

Sienna stared at her for a few seconds... then let out a long sigh. Only then did she mutter, "You mean... he became a voice assistant inside your head? Like Siri?" Sienna frowned, looking skeptical but also hopeful.

"Siri my foot. Tell her not to get too close, her aura is messing with my synchronization."

"He says you shouldn't get too close! He says your aura is bothering him!" Emma repeated innocently.

"Wow, this really is Jonathan. Still alive and still arrogant as hell!" Sienna snorted, but there was a glint of relief in her eyes. "So what now? Where are we? This isn't the harbor from earlier, is it?"

Emma looked around. They were in the middle of a totally destroyed city, but the atmosphere was very alien. There were no monster corpses, no 'Cleaner' soldiers, just a terrifying silence.

"This is... Sector 0," the voice sounded tense. "Their main experimental control center."

Sienna frowned. "Experiment?"

"The Architects tried to burn us to the ground. But ever since I merged with you... they lost our signal."

"Sector 0? Jon says this is the experiment control center, Sienna," Emma repeated.

"Control center? Does that mean if we can find the dimensional drive core, we can get out of here?" Sienna started looking excited.

"Don't dream. The guards will be here soon. Em, look at your two o'clock. Behind that glass building."

Emma turned quickly. From the shadows of a leaning building, a massive machine resembling a mechanical spider began crawling out. Its eight eyes glowed bright red, scanning every corner of the street.

"What is that now?! It's huge!" Emma started trembling.

"That's a Sentinel. An anomaly extermination unit. If they find us, we'll be considered failed products to be erased!" Sienna drew her sword again, though its light was much dimmer now.

"So what do we do?! I don't know how to use this power!"

"Close your eyes, Em. Leave everything to me. I'm going to borrow your body for a sec."

"Borrow my body?! No way! What if you don't give it back?!"

"Stop whining! Do you want to live or become cosmic dust?! Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay! Just do whatever as long as we survive!"

Sienna watched Emma's body suddenly go stiff. The girl's hair slowly turned to shimmering silver, and when she opened her eyes, her pupils had turned deep purple, radiating a predator's aura that Sienna knew all too well.

"Jon? Is that you?" Sienna whispered softly.

Emma—or Jonathan inside Emma's body—smirked slightly. She cracked her knuckles in an incredibly arrogant manner. "Miss me? Hold that thought, I need to take care of this giant cockroach first."

Emma's voice changed drastically, becoming heavy and full of authority. She dashed forward with a speed that made the asphalt beneath her feet explode.

BOOM!

Emma smashed one of the Sentinel's legs with her bare hands. The metal shattered—but energy cracks spread up Emma's arm. Her bones creaked softly, and thin blood seeped from under her fingernails.

"Crazy... so strong..." Sienna gaped at Emma's new power.

The Sentinel emitted a loud hum, then fired red lasers from all eight of its eyes simultaneously.

"Don't fight me with laser toys, it's boring, you know!" Jonathan (in Emma's body) leaped into the air, spun agilely, and landed right on top of the machine's head.

He plunged his hand straight into the Sentinel's skull casing, ripping out a pulsing blue energy core.

CRACK!

The Sentinel instantly died completely, collapsing and crashing into the building beside it until it crumbled. Jonathan jumped down and landed casually in front of Sienna.

"Done. Too easy," he said, tossing the energy core aside.

"You're really crazy, Jon. That's Emma's body, don't use it so roughly!" Sienna protested, though she felt relieved.

"This body has 100% synchronization now. It's much stronger than my old rusty body. But..." Jonathan suddenly staggered, clutching his head.

"But what?! Are you okay?!"

"Energy... I need energy. Emma's body isn't used to holding Legion power for too long. I have to rest inside first," Jonathan's voice began to fade, and Emma's eyes returned to their original color.

"Ugh... my stomach is so hungry..." Emma collapsed, her face very pale. "Jon... is he sleeping again?"

"Looks like it. He really drained your energy," Sienna helped Emma up. "We have to find a safe place. If there's one Sentinel, there must be thousands more coming."

They walked into a destroyed shopping mall, looking for a place to hide. Inside, it was very dark and damp. Emma kept holding her growling stomach.

"Sienna, do you have any food? I feel like I'm going to pass out..."

"Hang on, Em. I'll try looking in that convenience store ahead. You wait here, don't go anywhere!" Sienna ran toward a store with toppled shelves.

Emma sat alone on the dusty floor. She tried calling Jonathan again, but there was no answer. The silence made her feel incredibly lonely.

"Em... listen to me..."

Jonathan's voice appeared again, but this time it sounded very weak, almost like a whisper.

"Jon? Are you still awake? Why is your voice so quiet?"

"The Architects... they're starting to block my signal. There's a traitor among us, Em. Sienna's energy... something is off. I'm not sure she's completely on our side."

Emma froze. "What do you mean?! Sienna has been helping us all along!"

"She... she's not the Sienna you think she is. She has her own agenda. I can feel a different Alpha energy from her body. She... she's waiting for the moment to steal the Legion Core from you."

"Impossible! Sienna is good! She was crying when you disappeared!"

"That's acting, Em. In this artificial realm of the Architects, tears can be faked as easily as weaving an illusion. Stay alert... argh!"

Jonathan's voice vanished with a painful burst of static. Emma clutched her head, confused and scared. Shortly after, Sienna returned with a few packs of biscuits and a bottle of mineral water.

"Here, Em! We're so lucky there were some chocolate biscuits left. Eat up!" Sienna handed over the food with a friendly smile.

Emma took the biscuits slowly. Her hand paused before taking a bite.

Her gaze moved up to Sienna's face—lingering slightly.

"Thanks, Sis..." Emma took the biscuit with a trembling hand.

"What's with that look? Still dizzy?" Sienna sat beside her, rubbing Emma's back gently.

"Sienna... you really want to get me out of here, right? You won't leave me like Jon did?"

Sienna went silent for a moment. Her smile faded slightly, replaced by an unreadable expression. "Of course, Em. We're a team. I need you, and you need me. Especially... I need what's inside your body to defeat the Architects."

That last sentence made the hair on Emma's neck stand up. "I need what's inside your body..."

"O-oh, I see..." Emma pretended to be calm while chewing her biscuit.

"Hey, did you hear that? Sounds like someone walking," Sienna suddenly stood up, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.

Emma strained her ears. Sure enough, the sound of rhythmic footsteps came from the mall entrance. Not machine footsteps, but human footsteps wearing heavy shoes.

"Who's there?! Come out or I'll cut you down!" Sienna shouted.

From the darkness, a very familiar man emerged. He wore a tattered lab coat, but his face still looked neat.

"Professor Silas?!" Sienna's eyes widened.

"Hello, Sienna. Hello, New Subject," Silas smiled calmly, as if they were meeting at a cafe. "You're really impressive to have made it to Sector 0. I'm very proud."

"What are you doing here, Old Man?! Want to give us more injections?!" Sienna readied herself to attack.

"Relax, Sienna. I'm not here to fight. I'm here to give a warning. The Jonathan inside that girl's body... he is no longer the Jonathan you knew."

"What do you mean?!"

"He has been completely contaminated by the Legion virus. Right now, he is slowly absorbing Emma's consciousness. If you don't separate them in the next hour, Emma's soul will be erased forever, and Jonathan will be reborn as an uncontrollable monster," Silas explained with a very convincing tone.

Emma choked on her biscuit. "W-what?! Jon... wants to erase my soul?!"

"Don't believe him, Em! He's a liar!" Sienna shouted.

"Feel free to check her system status yourself. Emma, try calling Jonathan right now. See if he answers truthfully or if he tries to control your motor nerves instead," Silas challenged.

Emma tried to call out in her heart. "Jon? Is what Professor Silas saying true?"

No answer. However, Emma felt her hands start to move on their own, reaching for her own neck.

"Sis! My hands are moving on their own! Sienna, help!" Emma screamed in terror as her hands began to choke her own neck with incredible force.

"Emma! Jon, stop! Are you crazy?!" Sienna tried to pry Emma's hands away, but she wasn't strong enough.

"That is the survival instinct of the Alpha system. It feels threatened, so it's trying to destroy its host so it can move to another vessel," Silas walked closer, pulling out a small tube filled with golden liquid. "This is the only thing that can stop him. But, you have to inject it directly into Emma's heart."

Sienna took the tube with trembling hands. She looked at Emma, who was gasping for air, then looked at Silas. "If I do this... Emma survives?"

"Emma survives, but Jonathan will be destroyed forever. Which do you choose, Sienna? Your monster boyfriend, or this innocent girl?"

Emma looked at Sienna with a pleading gaze. "S-sis... please..."

Sienna slowly raised the needle tube. Her hands trembled, but her gaze actually became firmer, as if a decision she had held back for a long time had finally taken shape.

"I'm sorry, Jon..." she whispered softly.

"But this world needs a savior, not a monster."

In one breath, she thrust the needle down toward Emma's chest.

Emma froze. Her body refused to move, while the cold metal tip drew closer—close enough that she could see her own reflection on its surface.

But the shadow beneath Emma's body suddenly writhed.

Something moved down there.

A pitch-black hand burst out from the darkness of the floor and grabbed Sienna's wrist before the needle could touch the skin.

The grip was brutal.

The sound of cracking bone echoed, making Sienna stop breathing.

Not Emma's hand. Not Jonathan's hand either.

A faceless black shadow figure stood behind Emma, holding Sienna's arm with a force that cracked the woman's wrist bones.

"Who are you?!" shouted Silas, who looked genuinely shocked for the first time.

The shadow didn't answer. It only let out an incredibly terrifying laugh, a blend of hundreds of human voices that had perished in that city.

"We... are... the truth..."

Suddenly, the entire mall shook violently. The floor beneath them shattered, and black water began overflowing from underground, swallowing everything. Emma fell into the black water, and as she sank, she saw Sienna and Silas also getting swallowed by the same darkness.

Emma's consciousness screen suddenly flashed a final message before she completely passed out:

[WARNING! A THIRD PARTY HAS ENTERED THIS REALITY SECTOR.]

[IDENTITY: THE VOID COLLECTIVE.]

[SYNCHRONIZATION FORCIBLY DISCONNECTED.]

Emma's world went completely black, leaving only the whispering voices of thousands of people calling her name in the endless darkness.

In that darkness, something moved slowly, as if just realizing Emma's presence within its territory. An alien pressure squeezed her consciousness from all directions, heavy and cold, making the Alpha System in her body vibrate unstably for the first time.

Not the Architects.

Not the Legion either.

Something else... was staring back.