Pha-pro 8 -

The countdown on the wall screen hit zero. A deep thunk echoed through the chamber as the pod’s seals released. The gel drained with a wet, sucking gasp. For a terrifying second, the figure remained limp. Then, a single finger twitched.

He found himself on a plain of broken mirrors. Each mirror reflected a different Earth—a world where the Drowning had already won. Cities of rust. Oceans of tar. Skies weeping acid. And in every reflection, a Mourner stared back. pha-pro 8

He was slumped in the chair, his ash-white hair now streaked with silver. His copper eyes had faded to a soft, weary gold. Elara rushed to him, her hands shaking. The countdown on the wall screen hit zero

And deep beneath the Earth, the Mourners grew still. For a terrifying second, the figure remained limp

“What question?”