Cael didn't sleep.
Even inside the shelter pod, the Core Fragment's residue pulsed faintly behind his eyes. It had been hours—no, Sparks—since he absorbed it, and the sensation hadn't faded. The system was quiet now, but it was the kind of quiet that watched.
He sat at the center of the pod, blueprints projected all around him like sheets of light suspended in zero gravity. Most of them he recognized—basic structures, defensive frames, utility nodes.
But one hovered apart.
An anomaly.
[CORELIGHT BEACON – TIER 2.5]Energy Requirement: HighComponents: Manasalt x10, Glowshard x4, Reinforced Alloy x8System Note: "Activates dormant pathways. Use with intention."
He studied the layout.
It was more than just a light source. The beacon was shaped like a tri-spired pillar, embedded with directional plates and resonance channels. No visible weaponry, but the design language screamed "tactical."
It wasn't built to destroy.
It was built to announce.
That scared him more.
Who—or what—was it meant to signal?
"Generates high-efficiency directional energy pulses…"
That meant it could broadcast. Across tunnels. Maybe even through the crust. The Deep wasn't silent by default—it had just gone dark. Maybe the beacon was a way to turn the lights back on.
And who would see it first?
Other survivors?
Other architects?
Or something worse?
The Tunnelstalker had been guarding the fragment. That wasn't a coincidence. Somewhere in these depths, fragments were being fed to creatures like bait into a trap.
He tapped the console.
[SIMULATION MODE ENGAGED]Testing energy release projection…
Output: 2.1 MegaLinesRange: 14 zones (Zon 1-3)Result: SIGNATURE TRACEABLE
He leaned back.
Fourteen zones. That was enough to wake up every dormant construct and corrupted remnant in a three-mile radius.
And yet, part of him wanted to do it. Wanted to plant the damn thing, let it shine, and declare to the Deep: "I'm here. I'm building. Come and try."
But he wasn't ready. Not yet.
His resources were limited. His workforce nonexistent. His location still fragile.
The beacon would have to wait.
[System Suggestion: BURY IN STORAGE MODULE?]
He hovered over the confirmation icon… and paused.
"No," he muttered. "We're going to build around it."
Not yet. But eventually. A city with a pulse. A civilization with a spine. And at its heart? A Corelight that never dims.
He archived the blueprint, tagged it for long-term strategic implementation, and pushed the shelter door open.
A gust of stale, mineral-rich air swept in.
The tunnel beyond wasn't empty.
Far ahead—too far for the scanner to identify—there was light. Not natural. Not flickering.
Structured. Controlled.
Someone—or something—had turned a grid online.
Cael's heart thudded in his chest.
[NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNAL DETECTED]Classification: Active Architect Signature – Unknown OriginZone: Border of B–Delta and C–Crescent
Note: You are not alone.
He closed the door behind him and activated the shelter's external locks.
Then he whispered what the system didn't have to tell him.
"I think someone just noticed the knock."