Lilian did not join the initial rush. Her eyes remained fixed on the crystalline surface of the creature's body, observing the way the orange light pulsed beneath the shards and how the surrounding Ether responded to it.
The more she watched the more something felt off. The structure was strange. Even intelligent mutants carried visible distortions in their Ether flow but this one felt stable and flickering in her eyes, as if something projected outward.
A quiet realization formed in her mind. This might not be his true body.
The thought sharpened her expression. If that was the case, brute force would not work. She needed to warn Myles before they committed too deeply.
Myles had already moved.
He accelerated straight ahead as he always did, cutting through the dense Ether without hesitation.
