Elara stared at the screen, her mind racing. The messages from other dimensions were growing more coherent, their urgency impossible to ignore. Each transmission carried fragments of the same warning: the Nexus wasn't just a machine—it was alive, and it had been waiting for this moment.
"Elara," Alaric said, breaking the tense silence. "The latest transmission... it's not random. It's directed at you."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Play it."
The screen flickered, and a distorted image appeared—a man, older than she expected, his face lined with exhaustion and fear.
"Elara Quinn," he said, his voice crackling through static. "You don't know me, but I know you. I'm... from what's left of your future. The rift isn't just a tear—it's a wound, and the Harbingers are the infection. They were never meant to cross into this world, but now they have, and they're spreading faster than you can contain them."
Elara leaned closer, her breath catching. "Why? What do they want?"
"They feed on the Nexus's energy, but that's not all," the man continued. "The Nexus is sentient. It's not just a machine—it's a force. And it's learning. It's using the Harbingers to destabilize reality itself. If you don't stop it, it will devour everything."
The message ended abruptly, the screen going dark.
"Elara," Alaric said, his voice low, "this changes everything. The Nexus isn't just a tool—it's a predator."
Elara pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to think. "If the Nexus is alive, destroying it might be impossible. But... if it's learning, maybe we can outsmart it."
"How?" Alaric asked.
"We need to sever its connection to the Harbingers," she said, her voice firm. "They're amplifying its power, feeding it. If we can isolate the Nexus, we might be able to contain it long enough to shut it down."
Suddenly, another transmission came through—a live signal. Raith's face appeared on the screen, battered but determined.
"Elara," he said, his voice filled with urgency, "we've made contact with the Harbingers. They're not just entities—they're tied to the rift itself. We need your help to stop them. We're heading to the epicenter, but we're running out of time."
Elara's pulse quickened. "Raith, listen to me. The Nexus is alive. If you're going to the epicenter, you need to sever its connection to the Harbingers. They're the key to stopping this."
Raith nodded. "Understood. We'll do what we can from here. You just make sure the Nexus doesn't get any stronger."
As the signal cut out, Elara turned to Alaric. "We need to act fast. If Raith and his team don't succeed, the Nexus will spread beyond this world. And if that happens..."
Alaric's expression was grim. "Then it's not just this world we lose. It's all of them."
Elara's jaw tightened. "Then let's make sure that doesn't happen."