The invisible surge of data did not destroy, but pressed from every direction at once, like a powerful current pulling in anyone caught inside it.
Sophia stood motionless, her eyes locked on the core, which was no longer merely a center, but something alive, pulsing with an ever-increasing rhythm.
Beside her, Adrian Blackwood tightened his jaw slightly. "This is no longer just a system," he said quietly. "This is an organism."
Daniel struggled to maintain the stability of their access. "We are inside the center now," he said.
"But we do not yet have full control." His fingers moved ceaselessly, adjusting the frequency to avoid being thrown out.
On the other side, Leonard Graves sounded more tense than ever before. "The entire network outside is beginning to change," he said.
"Some nodes are losing connection, while others are growing stronger."
Sophia took a deep breath. "It is unifying everything," she said softly.
