The deeper they descended into the vault, the less it felt like a structure—and more like a living organism. The walls weren't just metal; they breathed. Faint pulses of light ran through veined conduits embedded in the surfaces, and the temperature dropped steadily with every step.
Julius's HUD flickered briefly, then stabilized. "Echelon, what's going on with the systems?"
"The vault is interfering with our electronics. Low-level psychic field. Organic signal bleed from Vorr. It's... resonating with me."
Brinley scanned the path ahead. "Can you still track it?"
"Yes. Vorr is leaving a data trail. Purposefully. It wants us to follow."
The corridor ahead twisted into a vast chamber—open and cathedral-like, with a central dais surrounded by nine pedestals. Only one remained active, glowing with a faint red mist.
"Symbiote chamber," Echelon whispered. "Each pedestal held one of the nine. This is where they were first awakened."
Julius's eyes narrowed. "Only one still here?"
"Vorr," Echelon confirmed.
Something moved above them.
Julius reacted instantly, pulling Brinley back as a chunk of the ceiling peeled open like muscle tissue, and Vorr dropped from above. It landed silently on the central dais, crouched, its crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dim chamber.
"Do not engage," Echelon warned. "It hasn't attacked."
Vorr straightened, then extended one hand toward Julius. Not in aggression—but offering.
Julius didn't move.
Then, Vorr spoke—not in words, but in thoughts, pressed directly into Julius's consciousness:
You are bound. Symbiosis incomplete. Echelon limits you. I will not.
Julius's mind reeled from the voice—like metal grinding through his thoughts. The sheer pressure of Vorr's presence felt crushing.
Echelon surged to shield him. "He is not yours."
Vorr's head tilted. He isn't yours either. He belongs to the Source. Like me.
Julius forced his body to stay still. "What is the Source?"
Vorr turned away, walking to one of the shattered pedestals. He placed a hand upon it, and a pulse of ancient light surged through the room. A projection burst into life—a holographic map of star systems, many long dead. Lines connected several marked points.
Brinley stepped closer. "These look like vaults… installations."
Echelon confirmed. "Locations of the remaining symbiotes. Hidden across different systems. Vorr has accessed the archive."
Julius stared. "He's not just waking up… He's rebuilding the network."
Then Vorr looked back, and for the first time, Julius sensed something deeper in him—beyond the predatory instinct.
Purpose.
The Source is awakening. You must choose. Be a soldier of the dying, or the first of the new.
With that, Vorr stepped into the map projection—and vanished. No sound. No ripple. Just gone.
Silence returned.
Brinley exhaled. "He let us live again."
"No," Julius muttered. "He gave us a warning."
Echelon pulsed coldly in Julius's mind. "He wants to awaken the others. The predator class. If he succeeds, the galaxy won't survive the war that follows."
Julius turned to the map. "Then we find the next vault first."
He looked to Brinley, then down at the still-glowing pedestal.
"And we stop him."