The sky didn't just darken; it ceased to be. The indigo nebula, the silver stars, and even the golden eyes were swallowed by a yawning, monochromatic static. The Consolidated Board hovered in the center of this void, a nine-faced titan of geometric perfection and terrifying scale. Each of its eighteen hands held a symbol of absolute control: a golden gavel, a ledger of stars, a sword made of frozen light.
[WARNING: HARD-BOOT INITIATED]
[SYSTEM DELETE: 0.02% COMPLETE]
[LOCAL REALITY STABILITY: CRITICAL]
"The First-Born," the nine voices boomed, vibrating the very marrow in Kaelen's bones. "The 'Source-Key' is our property. You have used a master-key to lock a door you do not own. We are simply reclaiming our hardware."
