In the real world, alarms screamed. Sparks rained from the ceiling.
June shouted, "He's inside the network! The system's fighting back!"
Hana clutched her shoulder, her infection flaring. "We have to protect him."
The walls split open as mutated drones poured in. Hana moved like lightning, her glowing hands slicing through them.
June ducked behind the console. "I can stabilize the link, but I need time!"
Inside the network, Eli faced Aria's towering digital form.
"You can't stop evolution," she said.
Eli raised his hand, the genetic key glowing. "Then I'll delay it long enough to save them."
He plunged the key into the core. The digital world shattered.
In the control room, the monitors exploded. Hana screamed as energy surged through the cables.
June pulled Eli from the chair. His body convulsed, eyes glowing faintly. "He did it," she whispered. "He shut it down."
But the victory was short‑lived. The building's power grid ignited, flames racing through the corridors.
Hana grabbed Eli's arm. "We have to move!"
They ran through the burning halls as the tower groaned and buckled. Behind them, the central core erupted in a column of blue fire.
Outside, the night sky lit up as Haven Heights burned—a beacon of both destruction and rebirth.