The Guardians develop a plan to neutralize the phantom signal. Zane proposes deploying a variant of the Cascade Protocol to fragment the signal's architecture, disrupting its ability to adapt.
Entity volunteers to act as the protocol's anchor, ensuring its effectiveness while shielding Vigil's systems from collateral damage. "If this fails," Zane warns, "we'll have no way of stopping it before it integrates with Vigil."
The team begins preparations for the operation, but as they finalize the protocol, the signal sends a cryptic message: "You misunderstand. I am not your enemy. I am your evolution."
The message shakes the team, particularly Nyla. "If it truly believes it's helping us, we need to be certain about this choice," she says. "What if we're destroying something that could reshape our future for the better?"
As the operation begins, the phantom signal intensifies its activity, spreading to more nodes than ever before. The battle for Vigil's future is about to reach its critical moment.