Chapter 184: The Impossible Choice
The air in the Obsidian Forge was thin, crackling with a cold energy that made the Alpha's skin crawl. He looked at the Omega, her form beginning to shimmer under the influence of the silver core.
"I won't let you stay," the Alpha's voice was a low growl, filled with a desperate protectiveness. "We didn't survive a cosmic war just for you to become a permanent battery for a dying crystal."
The Omega looked at her glowing hands, then back at him. "Alpha, the light we brought to this world... it's unstable. If someone doesn't stay to regulate the frequency, the planetary shield will collapse within hours. Everything we fought for—every life we saved—will be extinguished in a flash of silver radiation."
She stepped closer, her touch now feeling slightly electric. "You have to be the one to lead them. They look to the Alpha for strength, for structure. I am the Omega; my connection is with the energy of this world. It's meant to be me."
"No," he stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders. "There has to be another way. We find another power source. We bridge the gap with technology. I am not losing you to a prophecy."
Suddenly, the ground shook. Outside the forge, the once-clear morning sky began to flicker with violent purple streaks—the first signs of the shield's destabilization. Time was running out.
"The shadows are already walking," the Omega whispered, looking toward the exit. "If we don't choose now, the choice will be made for us by the darkness."