Lena and Elias reached the outskirts of the ruined city, only to find the landscape around them in a state of chaos. The energy ripples that followed the [System]'s failed reactivation were visible—glowing fractures of light that ran through the ground, spreading outward in all directions. The world was coming apart at the seams.[System]: "Initiating planetary reconfiguration. Power reserves insufficient. Global stability: 52%. Extraction required."The voice came again, more strained than ever, but still terrifying in its intensity. Lena could feel the weight of its presence, even if it seemed to be struggling."We need to stop it—before it destroys everything," Elias said, his expression grim.Lena nodded, her mind racing. "If we don't act now, this planet is finished."They began heading towards the location where the [System]'s core had originally been activated—the heart of the disaster, the place where everything had started. But as they moved, they realized they were not alone.Figures emerged from the shadows—survivors, but not ones they recognized. These people were different. Their eyes gleamed with an unnatural intensity, and their bodies seemed to hum with energy, as though they were somehow connected to the very system that had ravaged the world."You don't know what you've done," one of them said, stepping forward. His voice was hollow, cold. "The [System] was never meant to be destroyed. We were chosen."Lena's heart skipped a beat. "Chosen for what?"The stranger's smile was unsettling, predatory. "Chosen to ascend."Lena's mind raced. What were they talking about? Had the [System] chosen them as its new vessels, its new avatars? Were they now infected, just like the rest of the planet had been?Elias stepped forward, his stance protective. "Stay back," he warned, his voice low and dangerous.The strangers didn't listen. Instead, they closed in, their eyes glowing brighter as the [System]'s energy flowed through them.[System]: "Initiating Ascension. Ascendant phase complete. Global protocol activated."Lena felt a shiver run down her spine. "They're part of it," she realized. "The [System] has infected them."The strangers' features began to shift, their bodies warping as if being remade by the energy coursing through them. They were becoming something else—something alien."We need to stop them before they spread," Elias said, his eyes narrowed, hands gripping his weapon.Lena nodded. "But how?"They had to stop the reactivation of the [System], but this new threat—the Ascendants—was just as dangerous. They were the [System]'s last attempt at survival, its twisted version of a new beginning.[System]: "Warning: Ascendant Protocol initiated. Full control over planetary resources established."The transformation was happening faster than they could react.