The alcove smelled like ozone and old metal. Kyle leaned back against the pylon, letting the cold bite through the Aegis-V plating. Elara's breathing was steady now, the suit's internal readouts cycling from amber to a slow, stable green.
[AEGIS-V SUIT ENERGY: 45%]
[EST. DURATION: 11H 42M]
[DARK ENERGY FILTER: ACTIVE]
"Half a day," Kyle muttered. "That's not long."
[Not if the swarm finds us first,] Snow replied, her voice dropping from playful to tactical. [And they will. Those vibrations you felt? They're not moving away. They're circling.]
Kyle closed the status window. The blue text faded, but the numbers stayed burned into his head. Lv. 50. Abyssal Shadow Weaver. 10,000 XXX points sitting untouched. Not the time for upgrades. Not with blood puppets and something called a Nabakayak on the move.
