The alarms hit first — a sharp, pulsing cry that tore through the Arctic wind. Then came the light.
Violet fire split the horizon as something massive broke through the clouds, descending like a burning god. The snowstorm howled in its wake, shredding the dark sky into ribbons of blue and red. Haven-9's perimeter guns roared to life, beams of plasma streaking upward, but they might as well have been sparks thrown against a storm.
Briar stood at the window, frozen in place. The glow from his Pulse hadn't faded; it pulsed brighter with each tremor outside, matching the rhythm of the sirens. He could feel it humming beneath his skin, like energy trying to break free.
Lyra grabbed his wrist. "We have to move."
"I can feel them," Briar said quietly. "They're close."
The base shook, a deep, metallic groan that sent dust raining from the ceiling. Outside, shadows cut through the storm — ion drop-ships descending fast, black silhouettes against the frozen wasteland.
Dr. Solis burst into the barracks, his coat half undone, eyes wide with something that was both fear and purpose. "They've found us. The outer domes are gone. Get to the Genesis chamber — now."
Lyra hesitated. "You're still doing this? While we're being attacked?"
"That's exactly when we do it," Solis snapped. "If we wait, there won't be anything left to save."
Briar followed him into the corridor. The walls vibrated with each impact. Soldiers ran past, shouting orders, dragging wounded civilians toward the bunkers. The air was thick with smoke and ozone. Through every window, the sky bled violet.
When they reached the main concourse, the attack hit full force. The ground split as a plasma beam slammed into the south gate, sending fire and ice blasting through the air. Dozens were thrown off their feet. Briar hit the floor hard, ears ringing, vision swimming.
Through the haze, he saw them — the first wave of ions. Tall, inhumanly graceful, armor glinting like liquid obsidian. Their weapons weren't rifles but extensions of their own bodies, glowing with coiled energy. They moved as one, slicing through human defenses like a current through water.
"Fall back!" someone screamed. "Fall—" The voice cut short as a violet blade tore through the smoke.
Solis dragged Briar to his feet, shouting over the chaos. "The chamber! Move!"
They ran. Every corridor behind them filled with the sounds of battle — the hiss of energy, the shatter of walls, the screams of the dying. Lyra covered their retreat, bursts of golden light erupting from her hands to hold back the enemy.
When they reached the Genesis lab, Solis sealed the door behind them. The room was circular, lit by the glow of dozens of containment pods filled with shimmering blue fluid. The air buzzed with latent energy.
"This is it," Solis said. "Our last chance."
Briar stared at the pods. "You want to inject that now?"
"You won't survive the next hour otherwise." Solis opened the case, revealing two syringes of luminous liquid. "Your cells are already resonating. If I'm right, the bonding will take instantly."
Lyra stepped forward. "What about me?"
"Your energy's already stable. If we try, it could kill you. But Briar—" He looked at the boy, eyes sharp. "You're the key."
Briar hesitated, the world shaking around him. Through the walls, the thunder of weapons grew closer. "And if it kills me?"
"Then you die giving humanity one more breath."
The door shuddered as something heavy slammed against it from the other side. Briar looked at Lyra. Her eyes said everything — fear, defiance, belief.
"Do it," he said.
Solis injected the serum. It burned like fire beneath his skin. Briar screamed, his body arching as light exploded through his veins. The world vanished into sound and color.
He saw flashes — his father's face, his mother's laughter, the crimson sky of New Avon, the reflection of the ion soldier calling him weak. Every failure, every loss, every ounce of fear condensed into a single instant. Then everything went white.
The blast threw Solis and Lyra to the ground. The lab's systems overloaded, sparks showering the room. Briar hung suspended in the air, energy radiating from him in waves. The blue of the Genesis compound merged with the violet of the ion energy still inside him, forming something new — something alive.
The door burst inward. Ions flooded the chamber, blades ready. The first one raised its weapon — and stopped.
Briar opened his eyes. They glowed bright silver-blue. The air around him warped.
When he moved, the room exploded with light.
The ions were hurled backward, slamming into the walls. One lunged again, only to be caught mid-strike — frozen in the air by invisible force. Briar raised his hand. The soldier disintegrated into dust.
Lyra stared, shielding her eyes. "Briar…"
He turned toward her, energy streaming off his skin like living lightning. His expression was calm — too calm.
Solis struggled to his feet, awe and terror mixing in his face. "It worked. My god, it actually worked."
The base groaned again as another blast hit above them. Briar looked up; his eyes narrowed. "Not for long."
He lifted his arm, and the air rippled. A sphere of blue energy burst from his palm, cutting through the ceiling like molten light. Outside, the snowstorm erupted as the beam tore through an ion dropship, splitting it apart in mid-air.
The backlash shook the entire facility. Briar staggered, panting, the glow around him dimming slightly. He wasn't used to it — not yet. The power was wild, raw, and burning.
Lyra ran to him, steadying his arm. "You'll kill yourself if you keep using it like that."
He managed a faint smile. "Good thing I'm hard to kill."
Solis stared out the shattered opening above them, the sky still bleeding fire. "They'll keep coming. This isn't a victory — it's a warning."
Briar looked down at his hands, faint traces of light still crawling under his skin. "Then let them come."
Outside, the storm raged, reflecting the new light that had awakened in him. Humanity had found its weapon — but the cost had only begun.