The Codex fragment pulsed with an unnerving warmth in Kiran's hand, a tangible piece of the forbidden knowledge they sought. But their success came at a price. The escape from Sector Seven, scrambling through the collapsing tunnel with Subject 05's enraged roars echoing behind them, had been desperate. Neo-Eclipse knew they had found something. The air in Neo-Veridia grew heavy with surveillance, the invisible net around them tightening. Every public screen seemed to carry a subliminal flash of the Zero Cabal symbol, a subtle, insidious conditioning.
Elena, despite the bone-deep weariness, was relentless. The Codex fragment, though small, was a key. Its subtle energy signature resonated with patterns she found in ChronosCorp's stolen data, hinting at specific energy frequencies needed for Veil manipulation. She discovered Neo-Eclipse was aggressively acquiring rare earth minerals and converting old city power grids into massive, undisclosed energy conduits. "They're preparing for something immense," she muttered, tracing a complex power grid schematic on her holographic screen. "This isn't just about a few missing kids anymore. This is about rewriting the world's energy backbone to fuel their ritual."
Then, the direct assault began. It wasn't a stealth operation this time. As they moved between safe houses, a swarm of unmarked drones descended, their whirring blades cutting through the city's night, tracking them with unnerving precision. Energy blasts, silent and concussive, slammed into buildings around them. Kiran used his stutter-step in a desperate, broken rhythm, pulling Elena through alleys, across rooftops, the city transforming into a deadly playground. Each temporal jump sent fresh cracks spreading up his arm, spider-webbing across his skin, a burning agony. He gritted his teeth, refusing to give in.
Cornered in a dilapidated skybridge overlooking a bustling district, Elena made a split-second decision. "I'm going live," she announced, pulling out her small, encrypted comms. "This is our only shot." Before Kiran could protest, she connected to The Oracle's Eye emergency broadcast channel. Her face, grim and determined, appeared on every public display in the district, overriding advertisements, dominating news feeds. "My name is Elena Voss," she began, her voice resonating with fierce conviction, "and the children aren't just missing. They're being taken. By Neo-Eclipse. They are preparing a ritual, using a forbidden knowledge known as the Eclipse Codex, to summon something ancient, something that will shatter our reality." Chaos erupted below as her words sank in. Sirens wailed. People panicked, looking up at the screens, then at each other. The drone attack faltered, momentarily overwhelmed by the public outcry. In the brief pause, a figure materialized on a distant rooftop, watching them. Dr. Rhea Koval. She didn't move to attack, but instead, she subtly adjusted a small, gleaming device in her hand, and the drones, abruptly, veered away, abandoning their pursuit, disappearing into the night. It was a reprieve, a strange, silent intervention. Elena knew now. Koval wasn't fully with Neo-Eclipse. But whose side was she on? And what was her game in this terrifying, unfolding drama of the Eclipse Codex?