The chamber fell into stunned silence.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
The first creature remained standing beside the Core, its massive form illuminated by waves of golden light.
"I'll carry them."
The words echoed through the chamber once more.
Clear.
Human.
Impossible.
Emily stared at the creature.
Her mind struggled to process what she had just heard.
The creature slowly lifted its head.
Its glowing eyes met hers.
And for the first time—
Emily didn't see a monster.
She saw a person.
A frightened person.
A lonely person.
Someone who had suffered for far too long.
The Founder looked genuinely shocked.
"Impossible."
His voice came out almost as a whisper.
The creature turned toward him.
A low growl escaped its throat.
"You said... we were failures."
The chamber became completely still.
The creature's speech wasn't perfect.
The words came slowly.
Painfully.
As though it had forgotten how to speak years ago.
But it was speaking.
