Lara’s hand rested against Gin’s forehead.

  Golden light flowed between them as she searched through the fragments of his mind.

  Memories flashed.

  Laboratories.

  Experiments.

  Worlds destroyed to power Spilri.

  Then something else appeared.

  A golden reflection forming inside the darkness of his thoughts… slowly shaping into the silhouette of a woman.

  Before the vision could become clear—

  Gin’s body exploded.

  The blast echoed through the chamber like thunder.

  Blood and fragments scattered across the room.

  For a moment the world fell silent.

  Leon stood frozen.

  Even Laura and Vander, watching through the hologram aboard the Alpha command ship, stared in shock.

  Aftermath

  Leon quickly reacted.

  Water surged from his hand, forming a flowing wave that washed the blood from himself and Lara.

  The liquid scattered across the floor before dissolving into mist.

  His eyes remained focused.

  Something about this felt wrong.

  The children of áris soon entered the chamber, limping from their earlier battle. Their wolf forms were still active, their bodies covered in wounds.

  Iris glared at Leon.

  “Why did you kill him?”

  Leon met his gaze without hesitation.

  “I didn’t.”

  “He exploded because someone didn’t want him talking.”

  Iris’ eyes burned with anger.

  “Or he destroyed himself before revealing anything.”

  Lara lowered her head slightly.

  “That… might be possible.”

  Leon placed a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

  “Come on, Lara. We can’t stop here.”

  The Grandfather

  Iris activated the hologram bracelet on his arm.

  A figure appeared within the projection—his grandfather, surrounded by flames.

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  “The target Gin was supposed to be captured alive,” the old warrior said.

  “We needed his information.”

  Iris crossed his arms.

  “He blew himself up.”

  The old man nodded slowly.

  “Understood.”

  “I will inform áris.”

  The connection faded.

  But suspicion remained in Iris’ eyes.

  Shadows Within the Organization

  Elsewhere in the fortress, several Xprian agents moved quietly through a hidden storage chamber.

  Inside lay a massive arsenal of weapons.

  They exchanged glances.

  Then began loading crates into a transport ship.

  Metal scraped against metal.

  Low whispers echoed in the darkness.

  “With this…”

  “No one will stop us.”

  The Secret Lara Saw

  Leon and Lara climbed the metal staircase leading toward the upper levels of the tower.

  Lara finally spoke.

  “There’s something I saw in his mind.”

  “I didn’t say anything before because Iris and his brothers were there.”

  Leon nodded.

  “Tell me.”

  Lara stared into the distance.

  “Gin didn’t know everything about Spilri.”

  “He heard a voice.”

  “A woman.”

  “She spoke about a star… or maybe a planet.”

  “Something above this tower.”

  Leon’s expression hardened.

  “We can’t handle this alone.”

  “Let’s call Liu.”

  Calling Liu

  Leon activated the communicator.

  “Liu, we need you here. Urgent.”

  “What’s your situation?”

  The response came from another battlefield.

  Behind Liu, Jun and several agents were still freeing prisoners.

  “We’re fine here,” Liu replied.

  “We found more bases and started mapping them by reading the minds of captured Spilrians.”

  Jun encostou-se à sua espada ali perto.

  “Você deveria ir, Liu.”

  “Nós podemos lidar com as coisas aqui.”

  Liu assentiu com a cabe?a.

  "Entendido."

  “Estou a caminho.”

  Observadores

  A bordo da nave de comando Alpha, Laura observava tudo através da tela holográfica.

  “Lara, qual é a sua situa??o?”

  Ao lado dela, Vander cruzou os bra?os.

  "Gostaria muito de estar aí."

  “Mas se áris me vir… ele saberá da minha liga??o com a Organiza??o.”

  A frustra??o brilhou em seus olhos.

  Convergência

  Em todo o campo de batalha, a guerra continuava.

  Agentes resgataram prisioneiros.

  Androides caíram do céu.

  Os filhos de áris cuidavam de seus ferimentos enquanto observavam a torre com desconfian?a.

  Logo Liu chegou.

  Ele se juntou a Leon e Lara na plataforma principal.

  Os três olharam para cima juntos.

  Em dire??o à estrela misteriosa que Lara vira na mente de Gin.

  A voz de Lara ecoou suavemente.

  “Essa voz…”

  “N?o foi loucura.”

  “Algo está à espera acima desta torre.”

  O céu escureceu.

  E em algum lugar além das nuvens… algo se moveu.