The creature opened its eyes.

Every light in Aetheria disappeared.

For one terrifying second, there was nothing but darkness.

Then the Heart screamed.

Not through speakers.

Not through machines.

The sound entered Sera’s mind like a thousand voices crying at once.

She fell to her knees.

“Make it stop!”

Lyra rushed toward her.

“Sera!”

The false Daniel stepped forward.

The creature followed him.

Its body was made of darkness wrapped around silver light. It had no visible mouth, yet its voice echoed through the entire city.

THE DAUGHTER HAS AWAKENED.

Cael raised his weapon.

“Get behind me.”

The creature turned toward him.

Cael fired.

A beam of white energy struck its chest.

Nothing happened.

The creature lifted one hand.

Cael was thrown across the corridor.

He crashed into the wall.

“Cael!”

Sera tried to stand.

Her legs shook.

The Heart pulsed again.

Blue light moved through the walls.

Suddenly, the creature stopped.

It looked directly at Sera.

YOU CARRY THE KEY.

Sera stared at it.

“What key?”

The creature pointed toward her chest.

A small blue symbol appeared beneath her skin.

Lyra gasped.

“The Aether Mark.”

Sera touched it.

“What does it mean?”

Lyra’s voice trembled.

“It means the Heart recognizes you.”

The false Daniel smiled.

“She doesn’t belong to you anymore.”

Lyra stepped between them.

“Who are you?”

The man’s face began changing.

His skin cracked like glass.

Beneath it was something completely different.

A black, glowing skeleton.

The creature beside him merged into his body.

When he spoke again, his voice was no longer human.

“I am the last memory of the Void.”

The floor shook.

Far above them, Aetheria’s towers began collapsing.

People screamed in the streets.

Cael stood slowly.

“We have to evacuate.”

Lyra shook her head.

“There’s nowhere to evacuate to.”

“Then we fight.”

“We can’t fight that.”

Sera looked at the creature.

“What does it want?”

The creature answered.

“Freedom.”

Sera frowned.

“From what?”

“The Heart.”

The blue sphere beneath the city suddenly changed color.

Darkness spread through it.

Sera understood.

The creature wasn’t trying to destroy Aetheria.

It was trying to take control of the Heart.

“If it reaches the Core…”

Lyra nodded.

“Aetheria dies.”

“And Earth?”

Lyra looked at her.

“Earth dies with it.”

Sera’s heart sank.

She looked at the enormous sphere.

“Then I’ll stop it.”

Lyra grabbed her arm.

“You don’t know how.”

“No.”

Sera looked at the Heart.

“But it knows me.”

She stepped forward.

The Aether Mark on her chest began glowing.

The corridor filled with blue light.

The creature screamed.

NO.

Sera placed her hand against the wall.

The Heart responded.

A wave of energy exploded through Aetheria.

The creature was thrown backward.

The city lights returned.

People looked upward in amazement.

Cael stared at Sera.

“You controlled it.”

Sera shook her head.

“I didn’t.”

She looked toward the Heart.

“It controlled itself.”

Suddenly, a voice whispered inside her mind.

COME TO ME.

Sera closed her eyes.

She saw a staircase.

It wasn’t physically there.

It existed inside her thoughts.

At the bottom stood a little girl.

Sera recognized her immediately.

Herself.

The child was holding a silver key.

“You’re late,” the little girl said.

Sera knelt.

“Who are you?”

“You.”

“Why are you here?”

The little girl pointed behind Sera.

Sera turned.

Her father stood in the darkness.

This time, he looked real.

He smiled.

“Hello, Sera.”

She ran toward him.

“Are you alive?”

He nodded.

“But not here.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’ve been trapped inside the Heart.”

Sera’s eyes filled with tears.

“Why?”

“Because someone had to keep the Void asleep.”

“Who?”

Her father looked at the little girl.

“Your first memory.”

Sera frowned.

“What?”

He pointed toward the child.

“She is the part of you they removed.”

The little girl stepped closer.

“They took your fear.”

Sera stared.

“Why?”

“Because fear makes humans difficult to control.”

Her father continued.

“Your grandfather wanted to create perfect humans.”

“And he used me.”

“He used everyone.”

The little girl held out the silver key.

“But you can undo it.”

Sera took the key.

The world around them began shaking.

Her father looked worried.

“There’s not much time.”

“What do I do?”

“Open the door.”

“What door?”

He pointed behind her.

A gigantic black door appeared.

It had no handle.

Only one inscription.

THE FIRST MEMORY

Sera approached it.

Before she could touch it, her father grabbed her shoulder.

“Remember one thing.”

“What?”

“Your mother didn’t abandon you.”

Sera looked at him.

“Then why did she send me away?”

“Because she was protecting you from herself.”

“What does that mean?”

Her father disappeared.

The little girl disappeared.

The staircase vanished.

Sera opened her eyes.

She was back in the corridor.

Lyra was standing over her.

“Sera!”

Sera looked at her mother.

“Why did you create me?”

Lyra froze.

“I didn’t.”

“Then who did?”

Lyra’s eyes filled with tears.

“Your father.”

Sera stared.

“Why?”

“Because he knew the Heart needed a human consciousness.”

Sera looked toward the Core.

“So I’m connected to it.”

“Yes.”

“And if the Void takes the Heart…”

Lyra nodded.

“You die.”

Sera took a slow breath.

“Then I know what I have to do.”

Cael stepped forward.

“You can’t.”

“I can.”

“You’ll be consumed.”

“Maybe.”

Sera looked at the city.

“Someone has to stop it.”

Suddenly, every screen in Aetheria activated.

A message appeared.

THE MOON IS FALLING.

Cael looked upward.

The artificial sky cracked.

Beyond it was the real sky.

The enormous moon above Earth was breaking apart.

Fragments were falling toward the planet.

Lyra whispered:

“We have minutes.”

Sera looked at the Heart.

Then at the Voidborn.

The creature was rising again.

This time, it was larger.

Much larger.

Sera stepped forward.

The Aether Mark burned brighter.

“I am not your weapon.”

The Heart pulsed.

“I am not your daughter.”

The Voidborn roared.

Sera raised the silver key.

“I am the one who chooses what happens next.”

The key transformed into a blade of blue light.

The creature charged.

Sera ran toward it.

And above them, the last moon of Aetheria began to fall.