Chapter 49 – Awakening the Core Within
The meeting room still hummed with energy from the last discussion. Astra Haven's holographic layout floated in the center of the table, its walls and districts shining faintly like constellations in a private night sky. For once, no one spoke—every set of eyes lingered on the projection, soaking in the enormity of what they'd just set in motion.
It was Cream Puff who broke the silence.
"Ava," cream puff pulsed with a soft, deliberate glow, "there is another matter. One that concerns your survival far more directly than city walls or cloaking fields."
Ava tilted her head, suspicious. "...That's not ominous at all. Go on."
"This concerns your latent potential. Specifically—your awakening."
A sharp pause followed. Chairs creaked as the teens shifted, leaning forward.
"Awakening?" Alyssa's voice was measured, cautious. "As in… the powers that come with the Big Bang?"
