Noah's eyes darted around the ship, taking in the frost-covered surfaces and flashing warning lights. His expression shifted from confusion to understanding to alarm in rapid succession.
"Where—" he began, voice hoarse. "Where are we?"
"Transport ship," Kelvin called over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off the failing controls. "Headed for the military morgue. Sophie thought your void sickness was back."
Noah shook his head weakly. "Not void sickness. Not yet, anyway." His gaze tracked the spreading frost with grim understanding. "How long was I out?"
"About two hours," Sophie answered, helping him sit up as she unfastened the restraints. "Lucas didn't co back. We couldn't wait. You were getting worse by the minute."
Noah nodded absently, still focused on the ice that now covered nearly every surface of the ship's interior. "I can feel it," he murmured. "Getting stronger. Pushing."
"Feel what?" Sophie asked, concern deepening the lines around her eyes. "Noah, what's happening to you?"
Noah t her gaze, a strange mix of wonder and fear in his eyes. "Storm."
At the na, Kelvin's head snapped around, attention montarily diverted from the ship's controls. He activated the autopilot and moved to crouch beside Noah's gurney.
"Storm? Your wyvern? The one that's been in evolution for the last thirty days?"
Noah nodded, grimacing as another wave of pain visibly washed over him. "Evolution complete. But now..."
"But now what?" Sophie pressed.
"He's hungry," Noah said simply. "Starving. Like a bear fresh out of hibernation, but worse. Much worse. And he's..." He hesitated, as if reluctant to voice the thought. "He's trying to break out."
"Break out?" Kelvin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Out of your domain? Your companions can do that?"
Noah shook his head, frustration evident in the gesture. "I don't fully understand it myself. I think it's like a failsafe for them. My system seems considerate enough that in the events I'm unable to attend to their needs, there's a way out for them. It has sothing to do with being weakened. The barriers between my domain and physical reality are... thinning. Storm is pushing through."
"This is bad," Sophie said, gesturing at the ice. "If this is just from him 'pushing,' what happens if he actually breaks through?"
"I need to enter my domain," Noah said, attempting to stand. "I need to stop him."
"Like hell you are!" Sophie and Kelvin exclaid in near-perfect unison, both moving to block him.
"Look around you," Kelvin continued, gesturing broadly at their surroundings. "It's practically the ice age in here. Your domain is vast—who knows what effect Storm's powers have in there? You could freeze solid the mont you enter."
Noah slumped back, conceding the point but clearly frustrated. "I can't just do nothing."
A slow smile spread across Kelvin's face—the expression he always wore when a particularly elegant solution presented itself. "We're not going to do nothing," he said. "We're going hunting."
He returned to the pilot's seat, hands flying across the controls. The ship shuddered, then began a smooth banking turn.
"What are you doing?" Sophie asked.
"Changing course," Kelvin replied, not looking up from his work. "And hacking into the Hunter Organization database."
Noah raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning. "Beast cores."
"Exactly," Kelvin confird. "Storm and Nyx feed on them, right? We need to get your hangry wyvern so food before he tears his way into our reality."
"We could just buy cores," Sophie suggested. "That would be faster, right?"
Noah nodded cautiously. "Maybe. I have three cores left in my void storage that I left out for Storm specifically. Unless Nyx took them, which I doubt—he is more intelligent than that. But given how Storm is acting, I'm guessing he already tore through the category three cores I left behind. We need sothing heavier."
"How heavy?" Sophie asked.
"Category four at minimum," Noah replied. "Maybe threes if we get enough of them."
Kelvin let out a low whistle. "Can't get those off the market easily. Those are high-value cores used for military-grade equipnt. Authorization would take days, even with priority clearance."
'No wonder it took Raven weeks to bring a new batch,' Noah thought bitterly realizing how useful Raven was despite being a rat.
"Can't you hack your way through?" Noah asked.
Kelvin sighed. "Even if I did, physical delivery would still take at least a day. By then..." He gestured at the spreading frost.
"So hunting it is," Sophie concluded. "Noah, what area would have variable beast categories with minimal human involvent?"
Noah closed his eyes, thinking. "The western quadrant has several controlled zones. They maintain them for training exercises, but most are automated with minimal oversight."
Kelvin's fingers flew across the terminal. "Running algorithm now. Cross-referencing beast habitation patterns with security patrol schedules..." The screen flashed green. "Got one. Zone W-17. Fifteen minutes from our current position."
As if on cue, another warning alarm blared through the ship.
"Hull integrity compromised," the automated system announced. "Extre temperature fluctuations detected in external plating."
"We need to hurry," Sophie said, wrapping a thermal blanket around Noah's shoulders. "How are you holding up?"
"Cold," Noah replied through chattering teeth. "And it hurts. Like sothing's being pulled out of ."
Kelvin checked the navigation display, now almost completely obscured by frost. "Five minutes out. Just hold it together a little longer."
Noah had opened his mouth to respond when his eyes suddenly widened, fixed on sothing only he could see. The blood drained from his face.
Sophie caught his expression imdiately. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Too late," Noah whispered. "We're too late."
"Too late for what?" Sophie pressed.
Noah looked up, genuine fear in his eyes—sothing Sophie had rarely seen from him. "Storm is here."
"Here... where?" Sophie asked, dread pooling in her stomach.
Noah opened his mouth to answer, but no words ca. He didn't need to explain—the sky ahead of them provided all the clarification necessary.
What had been clear blue monts before was now darkening rapidly, massive storm clouds forming with unnatural speed. But it wasn't the clouds that drew their attention. It was the sound—a rumble that shook the very air around them, sothing between unholy thunder and a death screech that vibrated through the ship's tal fra and into their bones.
Kelvin broke the stunned silence with a nervous chuckle. "I'm guessing little Storm isn't so little anymore, huh?"
None of them laughed. They stared transfixed as the darkness ahead swallowed the horizon, and the rumble grew louder, closer, more defined—not just sound, but intent. Hunger. Anger.
The last rays of sunlight vanished as their small ship flew toward the gathering storm—and whatever waited at its heart.
[Beast Form Evolution: Storm has successfully erged]
[Warning: Domain Breach Critical]
[Warning: Hunt Protocols Active]
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