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“The shard responds to their biology,” Hammond continued, indicating diagnostic readings on a nearby screen. “The Shadow Canyon Nyxari’s lifelines showed the strongest resonance yet. Ifwe can map that pattern and apply it to our interface algorithms, we could establish full Nexus control.”

My tail lashed once—the only outward sign of the fury building within me. Shadow Canyon. He knew my clan. Somehow, he had discovered knowledge that should have been beyond his reach.

“Sir,” Phillips sounded hesitant. “The energy instability readings have increased by seventeen percent since we began experiments. The techs are reporting unusual seismic activity within five kilometers.”

Hammond waved this away dismissively. “Acceptable parameters. Once we achieve Nexus control, we can regulate any environmental side effects.”

The arrogance in his voice mirrored ancient records of those who had triggered the Great Division—confident in their ability to control forces beyond their comprehension. My clan had guarded the truth for generations: the Nexus was not merely a control system but a delicate regulatory network integrated with Arenix itself. Attempting to seize control had fractured the planet’s natural balance, causing catastrophic failure.

“Sir, what about the missing prisoners?” One of the guards spoke up. “If they make it back to the eastern settlement?—”

“They won’t,” Hammond stated with cold certainty. “The wilderness between here and there is becoming increasingly unstable. Our operations have accelerated certain... changes in the local environment. Even if they survived my security teams, the terrain will finish them.”

A cruel smile spread across his face. “And if by some miracle they do reach their precious alliance, they’ll have led us right to them. The tracker implanted in the Nyxari during his medical treatment ensures we’ll find their location.”

Ice replaced the fire in my veins. Tracker.

The truth of Hammond’s words registered in my consciousness, confirmed by a sudden awareness of a foreign object beneath the healed tissue of my shoulder—where Hammond’s doctor had treated a wound during my early captivity. I had been marked like prey, made into a beacon that would lead this madman straight to the eastern settlement.

Zara’s eyes widened as she processed the information, her gaze immediately going to my shoulder. Through our bond, I felt her mind racing through possibilities, calculating options with the efficiency that marked her thought patterns.

“When do we move on the eastern settlement?” Phillips asked.

Hammond turned the shard in his hands, the fractured crystal catching the light. “Once we achieve Nexus integration. Their primitive alliance will be irrelevant when I control the planet’s systems. They’ll submit or they’ll die—their choice.”

The casual way he discussed genocide—for that is what it would be—solidified my resolve. This was the threat my clan had prepared against for generations. The marked outsider would awaken slumbering power, unleash sleeping chaos. The prophecy had been correct in essence if not in detail. The chaos was coming, but Zara was not its architect—Hammond was.

We retreated silently, processing what we’d learned.

Only when we reached the relative safety of our hidden observation point did Zara shift, ensuring the translator stone tucked inside her boot was positioned comfortably. With the stones now in our possession, the barrier between our languages lessened, allowing for direct understanding.

“Tracker,” she whispered, her fingers ghosting over my shoulder with surprising gentleness. “That complicates things.”

“It must be removed,” I stated flatly.

Her markings pulsed as she considered the problem. “I might be able to disable it, but I’d need tools. And removing it incorrectly could trigger an alarm.”

I met her gaze directly. “Then we must use it to our advantage.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes—the tactical mind I had come to respect quickly grasping my intention. “Lead them where we want them, not where we’re going.”

I nodded once, appreciating her quick comprehension. “Hammond doesn’t understand what he’s tampering with. The Nexus isn’t merely a control system—it’s integrated with Arenix itself. During the Great Division, attempting to seize control fractured the planetary balance.”

“Causing catastrophic environmental collapse,” she finished, the pieces fitting together in her analytical mind. “That’s what he’s risking now.”

“The shard he possesses is from a division key,” I explained, sharing closely-guarded clan knowledge out of necessity. “It was designed to interface with lifelines—to allow controlled access to planetary systems. But using it as he intends, forcing synchronization through crude technology rather than natural resonance...”

“Would be like jamming a metal rod into a power conduit and expecting fine control,” she concluded. “He’ll destabilize everything.”

“And my lifelines are to be his conductor,” I added grimly.

Her expression hardened with determination. “Not if we get you out first.”

The protective intent behind her words stirred something within me—something my clan’s teachings had never prepared me for. The bond between us had evolved beyond mere physical awareness into something more complex. I found myselftrusting her judgment, valuing her insight. Dangerous thoughts for a Shadow Canyon guardian.

Yet as my lifelines responded to her proximity, brightening despite my attempts to suppress their reaction, I acknowledged a truth I could no longer deny: this marked human female was not the enemy my clan had feared. She was something else entirely—a potential ally against the true threat Hammond represented.

“Our escape must be accelerated,” I said, refocusing on our immediate concerns. “Tomorrow’s transfer to the laboratory provides an opportunity, but Hammond will be expecting resistance.”