The cube's ceiling—a surface that until a moment ago seemed like a monolithic block of granite and polymer—finished fracturing.
The process was not noisy; it was an exhibition of silent engineering. A series of multiple interlocking joints slid with surgical precision, dividing the dome into a perfect grid.
Each square section rose just a few centimeters before sliding laterally, remaining suspended and forming a lattice of dark hollows, like the cells of an empty honeycomb waiting to be occupied.
For a second, the silence was absolute—an artificial calm that weighed heavy on Aku's shoulders. Then, the first movement shattered the stillness.
From the blackness of the overhead compartments, the units began to descend.
