Chapter 183: Shadows of the Ancestor
The voice from the core still vibrated through the Iron Citadel, chilling the Alpha to his marrow. "The balance demands a price," he repeated, his eyes narrowed as the silver light reflected on his scarred armor. "What price could be left after we've already bled for this world?"
The Omega reached out, her fingers hovering inches from the pulsating crystal. "It's not blood it wants, Alpha. It's a fragment of our connection—the very thing that makes us the Alpha and the Omega."
Suddenly, the flickers of light solidified into a haunting image. It was the Ancestor, but his face was twisted in a look of profound sorrow. 'You have defeated the Star-Eaters, children of the dawn,' the projection whispered, its voice sounding like grinding stone. 'But you have left a vacuum in the cosmos. Without a predator, the darkness within the galaxy begins to seep into the hearts of the men you just saved.'
The Alpha stepped forward, shielding the Omega. "We can manage the hearts of men. We don't need ancient riddles."
'Can you?' the Ancestor's image flickered violently. 'Look to your borders. The shadows you thought you buried are already walking among the survivors. The price is simple: one of you must remain in the forge to stabilize the core, or the light you've brought will consume the world it was meant to save.'
The Omega looked at her hand, which was beginning to glow with the same silver hue as the crystal. A choice was forming in the air, one that could tear them apart just as they had finally found peace.