Book of apocalypse

He found s.u.n in her chamber. Golden light pulsing against the dark. “You said you were here to help,” Ethan said. No greeting. “Correct,” s.u.n replied. Unhurried. “Then help me defeat him.” sphere brightened “Defeating him is impossible.” Ethan stiffened. “How?” “The greater the force opposing him,” she said, “the stronger he becomes.” Ethan turned away. “So this is your offer? Surrender?” He looked back. “Is that why I came here?” s.u.n darkened. The glow shifted. Heavy. “No. I have an alternative.” Ethan waited “A second fusion,” she said “Second fusion?” “With what substance this time?” Ethan asked. One of the hexagonal walls moved toward them. It stopped in front of the sphere. The substance was glowing white. It was neither solid nor liquid. “What I am about to tell you must remain secret,” S.U.N. warned. “This city is surrounded by a dying universe that is trying to complete its collapse and swallow us into eternal darkness. It is precisely this substance that does not allow it to do so.” “The walls that encircle the city are infused with it.” “This substance is anti-entropy itself.” “The walls have a lower threshold for damage, below which their resistance to harm increases exponentially.” “And then, using the anti-entropic energy present in the city, they restore themselves to their original form.” “After that, the cycle begins again. And so on—endlessly.” “If everything works, your body will acquire the same property on a microscopic scale, of course— but it should increase your chances.” “. But there is a non-negligible probability of irreversible psychological collapse.” Fear and exhilaration passed through Ethan “Explain.”. “Your organism is not designed for dual fusion. But that is not the primary risk.” She brightened again “Metabolic adaptation. No existing anesthetic will keep you unconscious. You will awaken repeatedly. You will experience sustained molecular reconfiguration.” She paused. “Extreme pain. Days. Possibly weeks You could die.” Silence. Ethan lifted his head. “Prepare everything.” He turned. “I’ll be back soon.” Home. Kate was there petting nessa on the back Not knowing she already fell asleep She noticed ethan standing smiling She stood up they went to living room “I have to go through the procedure again,” Ethan said. She listened. Is this a discussion my love? Ethan looked at her as if it was last time seeing her No I already made the decision “s.u.n says I might break,” he said. “Psychologically.” Kate smiled “Then s.u.n doesn’t know you.” Ethan pulled her close. He memorized her weight. “Come see me. If I know you are there… I will endure it.” She kissed his face. “I promise. I won’t leave.” in the lab Trotsky and Cirrus assisted Elizabeth. The Chamber waited. s.u.n explained the risks. The margin for failure. The Heretics escorted him. Grief on their faces. The anesthesia held for three days. Then, the screams began. Raw. Tearing. Inhuman. Sound stripped of language. Anti-entropic energy distorted the glass. It blurred the world. Kate collapsed against the wall. Crying. The screams slowed. New dose. Minutes of silence. Then seconds. The transformation ripped through the body. Pain beyond definition. Eleven days. The screaming stopped. Silence was worse. Kate did not leave. Elizabeth reassured her. Silence does not mean death. Franco. Arthur. Trotsky. Took turns in bringing food to.kate and nessa Nessa spent the nights. During the day, she approached the capsule. She pressed small hands against the glass. Kate knew Ethan saw it. She knew he smiled. one evening Evgeny entered. He carried soup. He sat in the corner. “I lived most of my life alone,” the scientist said. “Away from people. They try to take your soul. Your dignity.” He looked at Kate. “I have never seen people treat each other with the care you and Ethan do. It restored my hope.” Kate wiped her tears. Faint smile. “He is a kind man.” Evgeny stared at the floor. “Love allows kindness. Its absence makes room for unspeakable evil.” He looked at the capsule. “Whoever walks out of there… remember this: the difference between him and Xeid is that one of them still has a reason to be kind.” He stood up. “Eat the soup.” He left. Day Forty. The alarms were silent. The glass cleared. Ethan stepped out. Kate ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Arthur and Elizabeth joined them. Overwhelmed. s.u.n appeared. “Process complete. How do you feel?” Ethan looked at Kate. “I’m fine.” Fear struck him. Sudden. “What day is it?” “The fortieth,” Elizabeth said. “He is approaching Earth.” Ethan kissed Kate. Hard. Urgent. He turned. He ran for the gate. Ethan descended to the unreachable pole of Eurasia, yellowed with age, a place guarded by the Army of Sentries, surrounded by mountains of earth. Ethan approached them. Wolf and Redstone were there. But he noticed other faces as well faces whose sight filled him with joy and hope. Ani and Iona. He moved toward Ani silently, without a word, and embraced her. “I’m sorry for what happened… and thank you.” They were healed. Ani smiled. “I’m glad they’re okay.” Ethan looked around. “So… you came back?” Ani shrugged. “I don’t know, Ethan. But I realized one thing: I’d rather see people as flawed than as diseased .” Ethan smiled with a knowing, almost teasing grin. “Deep down, I knew you’d decide that way.” He looked at Iona, standing behind Ani. Iona averted his gaze, as if he didn’t want Ethan to notice that he was waiting for his attention. Ethan walked up to him. “Io, I’m really glad to see you. Forgive me for freezing back then. Maybe the right choice would’ve been to save Ani.” At that moment, thunder rolled across the sky. Imperial ships appeared. The sun was obscured. Iona looked up and froze There is no time for apologise brother Their shadow arrived first like a herald that walks ahead of a conqueror.