Calculated chaos

Evening descended over the castle like a velvet curtain, but Eleanor's workshop blazed with activity. Holographic displays filled the air with cascading data streams, each one reflecting the chaos unfolding in the Crimson Towers. She stood at the center of it all, her fingers dancing across control surfaces as she monitored the quantum reflection array's performance.

"Their power systems are fluctuating exactly as predicted," Shaun reported through the comm system. "Edward's lab has initiated three emergency shutdowns in the past hour, each one followed by a massive surge of hybrid energy signatures."

"He's trying to isolate our quantum protocols," Eleanor observed, watching the pattern of shutdowns and surges. "Treating them like a virus he can quarantine and study." A slight smile played at her lips. "He's also broadcasting his every move through the very surveillance network he thinks gives him an advantage."