Zora flipped open the folder. A small stack of papers stared back.
"Alright, let's get the heavier stuff out of the way first."
She waved her hand, and a glowing screen materialized in the air, displaying a perfect projection of the page she held.
Ivory's hand shot up.
"Go ahead, Ivory."
Scanning the page on the screen, Ivory asked, "What exactly is a mutation? It says here she's a mutated Class Three Abhorrent."
Lena giggled. "You don't even know that? Wow, you're dumber than I thought—"
Ivory's hand reached toward her thread. A stern look from Zora froze both of them in place. Lena gulped.
"S-sorry. Anyway, a mutation happens when an Eidolon comes into contact with an external source. It could be emotional, mental, physical—or even environmental."
Tori cut in, standing up. "Basically, it can change at any time, depending on what the user experiences. The Eidolon could gain new abilities—or get weaker."
Zora sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You understand now?" she asked Ivory.
Ivory nodded.
"Good. Now, according to this document, the Spider Queen is a problem, but the real issue is her brood."
She lifted the next page and flicked her wrist. The image on the screen shifted again.
"There are billions of spiders out there, all in a hierarchy. You've got Spider Kin—humanoid spiders. They command the Halflings, who in turn control the base-level swarm."
Another flick of her wrist. A new page.
"The Spider Queen herself has a mutated ability called Assimilation..."
Everyone grew quiet as Zora read the next line aloud:
"She can implant Eidolon abilities onto her kin from people she's killed. But it's rare."
Zora leaned back in her chair. "Holy shit."
Paul whistled. "She's had to kill what—millions of Abhorrents and Eidolon users to get to that level?"
Tori nodded solemnly. "And we're going to be doing missions... in her domain."
Zora didn't respond. She lifted another page and waved her hand again.
"The grunts—the basic swarm—number in the billions. Maybe trillions. They come in all shapes and sizes, from something as small as a toddler to the size of a full-grown horse."
Lena shuddered. "I hate bugs."
Zora grabbed the final page and read aloud: "Her brood shares sensory information with her. Whatever they see—she sees."
She paused at the last line, her blood going cold.
"No escape if you are found."
She leaned back again, placing a hand on her forehead and closing her eyes.
"Well, now that the depressing part is done," Lena said, trying to force a smile, "let's check the rankings!"
"Y-Yeah... let's see where Zora ranks," Tori said, surprising everyone with her rare moment of support.
Zora stood, brushing a hand over her temple.
"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna take a walk."
She turned without another word and stepped through the portal.
Zora steadied herself, still reeling from what she'd just read. As she turned the corner toward the stairs, she nearly collided with Jason on his way up.
"Hey, Zora!" he greeted with a wide smile—until he noticed her face. "You read about the Spider Queen, didn't you?"
Zora gave a small nod.
"C'mon," he said softly. "Let's walk it off."
They descended in silence and slipped out the front gate, the guards offering little more than a grunt as they passed. Outside, they sat together on a makeshift bench under the dim morning sky.
Zora's thoughts swirled.
How am I supposed to lead them against that?
Jason tilted his head. "You talk to your stars more than you talk to people, huh?"
Snapping out of her spiral, Zora gave a half-laugh. "If I talked to them all day, I'd go insane."
Right on cue, Siri zipped down between them. "Is that why you never answer us? Dammit—mom was right."
"Watch your mouth," Aegis shouted from above.
Zora simply pointed skyward. "See what I mean?"
Jason blinked, confused. "Ah… right. Never mind."
She stared off into the distance.
"You know, when you first got here… you were furious. At the world. I honestly thought you might run off and try to find Tariq on your o—"
Zora's head snapped toward him. "How do you know abou—"
She froze.
Something shimmered just past the north turret. At first, it looked like a heat mirage—but it was growing, warping, pulling light into its form.
"Jason…" she whispered, her voice barely a breath, "Do you see that?"
He squinted. "See what?"
Her breath caught in her throat. The shimmer coalesced.
She could see it now. Legs. Eyes. Fangs.
Grabbing his arm, she whispered urgently, "Jason… they found us."
And as if the creature had heard her, the spider finished pulling itself from the veil. Fully visible. Watching.
Jason didn't hesitate.
He spun toward the gate and screamed, "FULL LOCKDOWN—NOW!"
Alarms blared and the automated turrets snapped to life, their hatches peeling open with mechanical precision. They rotated with soft whirs, scanning the camp perimeter with flickering red sensors. The hairs on Zora's arms stood straight as static charged the air around her.
"Get to General Vance and tell him the situation," Jason said, his voice sharp but steady. Then, with a quiet whoosh, he vanished — teleporting or phasing, she didn't know. The static vanished with him, and her arms relaxed.
She didn't hesitate.
Spinning on her heel, Zora bolted toward the central command building. Guards flanking the door recognized her instantly and waved her through without a word. She sprinted past them, boots slamming against the concrete floor.
"Where's General Vance?!" she shouted as she burst into the building, her voice echoing off the high walls.