The Weavers' hidden den, once a haven of quiet contemplation, erupted into chaos. The Alpha units didn't knock. They tore through the factory's ancient, rusted doors with brutal efficiency, their silent presence a stark contrast to the splintering wood and groaning metal. Elena grabbed the Eclipse Codex book, pressing it against her chest as if its secrets could shield her.
The Weavers, normally so serene, moved with surprising speed. They were old, but they were not helpless. The old woman, the one with the gnarled hands, moved with a sudden, impossible grace, throwing a fine, shimmering thread from one of her looms. It wasn't just thread; it glowed with a faint, pulsing light, wrapping around the lead Alpha unit, briefly tangling its limbs. It didn't hold for long, but it bought a vital second.
"They seek the book!" Elena cried, her voice thin with fear.
The old woman's eyes, wide now, held a deep sorrow. "The threads are cut. But the loom holds truth!" She pointed a trembling finger at the glowing word on the Eclipse Codex page – Liam. "He is the anchor. The seed… is the tether. One pulls, the other binds. Without the anchor, the tether is wild. The Codex... it is the pattern." She spoke quickly, her words a jumble of prophecy and dire warning. "It shows how to weave. Or how to unravel."
Another Alpha unit crashed through a stack of ancient texts, its glowing sensors locking onto Elena. "Retrieve the Codex!" a synthesized voice commanded, cold and emotionless.
"Run, child!" the old woman screamed, pushing Elena towards a hidden exit, concealed behind a tapestry of woven light. "Protect the pattern! It is the only way to mend the broken!" Elena didn't hesitate. She clutched the book, its unreadable pages now feeling like a burden of terrifying knowledge, and dove through the shimmering threads of the tapestry, leaving the Weavers to face the relentless pursuit. The heavy thud of the Alpha units' boots echoed behind her, getting closer.