The emergency klaxons died abruptly, leaving behind a silence that felt more ominous than the alarms themselves. Noah stood in the facility's main corridor, watching through the reinforced viewports as hundreds of dark figures approached through the water outside. Their movements were coordinated, predatory, and far too organized for comfort.
"Contact in thirty seconds," Theron reported, his voice tight with stress.
Noah glanced at the assembled team—his friends preparing for what they believed would be a rescue mission turned last stand. Time to end the charade.
"The king reached out to Lucy while we were still on Raiju Prime," Noah said quietly, not taking his eyes off the approaching army. "They planned this whole thing together."
Kelvin's head snapped around. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"The kidnapping was fake." Noah stepped away from the viewport, facing his team. "Aurelius was never taken."
Sophie's eyes narrowed. "Noah..."
