00:00:13 – The lightning scored a blue wound into the sky.
00:00:12 – The mist began to tremble. Life-Sense ignited. Every droplet of moisture charged itself into white heat.
00:00:01 – Time almost froze. A stream of projected energy traced from the heavens to the spire.
Prepare for Thermal Collapse: 4,800 kJ
Distribution Algorithm: 60% → Energy Bank, 25% → Beacon Core, 15% → Radiative Losses
---
No sound. Just pressure.
Then light.
A ribbon of solid white tore through the clouds. The spire's crystal crown erupted in photonic armor. Bones flared orange. Resin cracked.
+1,000 QP… +2,700… +4,200…
Critical! Bio-Flow Overstretch ▸ 180%
He screamed silently. Inside his form, colorless bubbles expanded. Blood Pulse hammered like a war drum.
---
Five Echo-Wraiths emerged like ripples of silver oil.
They swarmed above Beacon-0, hungry not for QP—but memory.
The seal that held the lightning's story began to leak pink light. The beacon's young voice echoed:
> "They're stealing the name of light!"
The system suggested sealing the memory vault. But that would erase the lightning's imprint—critical for future strikes.
---
He made a choice.
He lifted the Anchor Glyph from his back… and embedded it in his mist-heart.
> "My memories aren't food. But if you must feed, share the echo with me!"
His scream wasn't sound—it was pulse.
The Wraiths halted. A silver filament appeared, spiraling around his core.
Uncharted Path Interaction…
Soul Ripple Kernel Detected ▸ Seed Stage • Integrity 6%
He had touched a path beyond blood.
---
He activated Pulse Focus × Ø, pushing 600 QP into the Heat-Core and through the parasite cocoon.
Pure energy met dormant chaos and residual heat.
The result: a living lightning crystal. It pulsed once every two seconds, glowing steady violet.
The Beacon stabilized.
---
Bio-Flow: 15%
His veins cracked. Gray vapor bled from the fractures—mist hemorrhages.
His vision darkened. The system froze excess energy:
Body Integrity = 62%
Mandatory Recovery: 5 h
Next Storm Spike in: 4 h 10 m
---
Before collapsing, he reached toward the lightning crystal.
He sheared off a shard.
Estimated Value: ~80 QP (Compressed)
His last thought:
> "This could be my shield… or the seed of a future weapon."
The Echo-Wraiths, each now carrying a sliver of memory, bowed silently… then vanished.
Grateful? Waiting? He didn't know.
---
As he staggered toward the Beacon Core, its voice came to him again:
> "Tomorrow's storm won't spare us. But now… I pulse with your story."
His eyes closed.
The system dimmed into recovery mode.
Outside, a fresh bolt licked the horizon.
Another storm. Another countdown.
---