Tess's voice cut through the sterile air. "We're here because of a prophecy. A doomsday future created by you. Keeping this thing alive for so long… the longer the virus breathes, the stronger it becomes. Darkness only grows when you feed it. What you're doing is madness."
Lanse stepped forward, his hand tightening around his sword hilt. "We end this now—your father, your operation, all of it."
Sheena's tone turned icy. "That's not happening. We've touched the edge of a grand discovery, and you'd throw it away? Foolish. Like everyone else who's ever stood in my way—you can die."
The Chewlete scientists with neon-bright hair moved instantly, warping the air as they pulled static from the walls. Bolts of raw, compressed energy erupted toward the five guardians. Shields shimmered into place, absorbing the assault before the guardians countered with blasts of their own.
