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Chapter 19 - Chapter 19

Elias's mind was no longer his alone.

The whispering had turned into something else—not words, not thoughts, but presence. It didn't speak in a way humans understood. It was woven into the fabric of existence, a pulse beneath reality itself.

And it was inside him.

---

Vanguard - Command Deck

Sienna watched Elias closely.

He stood motionless at the viewport, hands pressed against the cold metal railing, staring at the void beyond. The golden glow in his eyes flickered like a dying star—unsteady.

She exchanged a glance with Roarke. "We need to talk about this," she murmured.

Roarke's jaw tightened. "You think I don't know that?" His voice was low, controlled. "He's not the same."

Elias exhaled sharply. "I can hear you."

They both turned to him.

His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it. A weight. A resonance that hadn't been there before.

Sienna crossed her arms. "Good. Then you can explain what the hell is happening to you."

Elias turned away from the viewport. "The Nexus is gone, but its energy—its essence—didn't just vanish. It's still here. In me." He pressed his palm against his chest. "And now… I'm connected to something else."

Roarke narrowed his eyes. "Something like the Forgotten?"

Elias shook his head. "No. They were trying to break back in. This… this is different." He hesitated. "It was never trapped. It was never part of the Nexus."

Sienna's expression hardened. "Then what is it?"

Elias exhaled. "I don't know yet."

But he could feel it growing stronger.

And soon, it would show itself.

---

Across the Galaxy

Something stirred in the depths of uncharted space.

Not a breach.

Not an anomaly.

Something waiting.

Silent. Watching.

And now that The Nexus was gone…

It was waking up.

---

Vanguard - Later That Night

Elias sat in his quarters, the lights dimmed.

The whispering had changed. It wasn't just sound anymore.

It was shaping itself.

Then, for the first time—

It spoke.

"You are not alone."

Elias's breath hitched. He sat up straight.

His reflection in the glass shifted—for just a moment, he saw another figure standing beside him.

Not Forgotten.

Not human.

Something new.

Something that had been waiting for this exact moment.

And Elias knew, deep in his core—

Whatever this was…

It had just taken its first step into existence.

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