War XLIX

Aiden looked down at the war table, his fingers clenching into fists. "'You are not ready.' That's what it said." He lifted his gaze, determination burning in his golden eyes. "If it wasn't an enemy… then why warn us?"

Nexus's voice echoed in his mind once more, steady yet urgent. "Because something worse is coming."

Aiden straightened. "Worse than the Abyss?"

The AI hesitated before responding. "Not worse, Aiden. Deeper. Older. Whatever we just saw… it's not here to destroy. It's here to observe."

Dren scowled. "That's not making me feel any better."

Rick sighed, shaking his head. "Great. So we just went from stopping an abyssal invasion to being noticed by something ancient and unknowable. Just another day in paradise."

Aiden pushed away from the table, exhaling. "One thing is clear—we can't afford to be caught off guard. If that thing was a warning, then we need to figure out what it was warning us about."