Looking around frantically for someone—anyone—who could tell her where Vance was, Zora froze as a voice suddenly echoed through the building.
"Attention, this is General Vance. We have been found. We are on high alert. Civilians and non-essential personnel, proceed to your designated safe zones. Essential personnel, report to the command center."
Before she could even process the message, an overlay blinked to life in her vision — a glowing green arrow stretched across the floor in front of her.
"Pretty!" Sparks chirped, fluttering down beside her to admire it.
Without wasting time, Zora followed the arrow, weaving through the corridors until it stopped in front of what she always thought was just a broom closet. Hesitating for half a second, she grabbed the handle and pulled it open—
Click.
The barrel of a rifle met her gaze.
"State your business," a young soldier barked. His voice was firm, but his hands betrayed his nerves.
"U-uh," Zora stammered, eyes flicking to the glowing arrow now fading behind her. "I… I followed the marker. I was told to report here…"
What was she supposed to say? That she followed a glowing arrow through the base? That a spider the size of a horse was inside the camp?
Before she could decide, a firm female voice rang out from behind the soldier.
"Let her through. She and her team were personally called in by Vance."
The guard grunted and stepped aside.
Zora exhaled sharply and stepped through the threshold — then froze.
The room beyond was massive. Dozens of people rushed between rows of glowing monitors, barking out orders, slamming reports down, disappearing through reinforced doors. Screens showed real-time footage, maps, encrypted feeds. And at the heart of it all stood General Vance, bent over a digital map, surrounded by her team.
As Zora approached, Vance lifted his head.
"Welcome to the EWA — Eidolon World Alliance."
Before she could reply, a man hurried up to him with a grim expression.
"Sir, our requests for aid from Russia and Mexico have been denied."
Vance exhaled through his nose and rubbed his temples.
"Then we've got a few months. Maybe less."
He turned to Zora and the others.
"Team Polaris. You have two options: kill the horde — or convince them to leave us the hell alone."
Before anyone could speak, a voice thundered over the command center.
"¡JOW DE HELL DEY FIND US, AH?!"
A broad-shouldered man stomped up to the group. Muscular but not bulky, dressed in a tank top and sweatpants, his slicked-back hair and clean-shaven face gave him a strange sort of rugged elegance. A lit cigarette hung from his mouth as he spoke, gesturing wildly with his free hand.
"I hide us perfect, eh? No sound. No light. Nada — not'ing gets in or out!"
Ivory raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it wore off?"
The man stopped mid-drag, staring at her like she'd grown an extra head.
"¡¿Joo de focking hell is dis, ah?!"
He marched over to her and exhaled a thick plume of smoke right into her face. She coughed.
Vance didn't flinch. "This is Team Polaris — the task force assigned to spider territory ops. Polaris, meet Juan Rivera. Former smuggler for the Colombian cartel."
Juan gave a mocking nod, then jabbed his cigarette in Ivory's direction.
"So dis leetle preek no do her job, and now she blame me for gettin' found?"
Vance raised a hand, silencing the growing argument.
"Juan, just tell me what happened. How the hell did one get inside?"
Juan took another deep drag and walked over to the map table. His voice lowered, words slowing.
"Mira… the only way dey find this hijueputa camp is if they stumble on it by accident, ¿sí? We chose this place 'cause even the malditas arañas don't come near. 'Cause of la Madre."
He pointed to a spot on the edge of the mapped zones.
"We're right on the fringe of all their territories. Neutral ground. The only way dey find us? Dumb luck. Or somethin' worse."
He glanced sideways at Ivory and flipped her off.
She didn't blink, but her hand drifted to a shimmering thread of power.
"Just one little pull," she muttered.
Zora grabbed her wrist gently and shook her head.
Jason's voice crackled through a nearby radio on the table.
"EWA, this is Zap. I've lost sight of the spider… it disappeared into thin air."
General Vance's head lowered slowly. His jaw clenched.
"Dammit... I have no choice."
He picked up the radio and responded.
"Return to the command center and await instructions. I'm activating the Argus and the Praetorian."
Setting the radio down, Vance closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
A low hum began to resonate through the room.
Suddenly, the map on the table floated upward, unfolding as it expanded into a glowing 3D model of the city and its surrounding terrain. Over the camp's center, a shimmering blue dome began to form — growing, stretching, until it fully enclosed the entire area.
Vance opened his eyes.
"Just in time."
From the northwest edge of the map, a black mass surged forward — fast, writhing, alive. A number appeared above it.
7,345,987.
Zora's eyes widened as more of the black horde poured in. The number continued to climb.
*What the fuck is that...?*
She watched in silent horror as the swarm began surrounding the dome.
Vance's voice cut through the tension.
"I will now make a single edict. If you do not follow it, you will die. The edict is this: Only Eidolon users are allowed to pass freely through the Praetorian."
His eyes flashed an eerie blue as the words settled over the room. Something intangible clicked into place.
"That should buy us some time. If I maintain control, I estimate… a month."
Above the camp's 3D projection, a new figure appeared.
0%.
Vance pointed to it.
"That… is our current survival odds."
He began explaining what each readout meant — defense capacity, breach likelihood, active Eidolon users on site — but Zora barely heard him. Her focus was yanked away by a light tap on her shoulder.
She turned.
Lena leaned in and whispered, awe lacing her voice.
"General Vance is ranked eighth in the world… He fused his dual Eidolon."
Zora blinked, nodding slowly as the weight of that sunk in.
But before anyone could process more, Vance's head snapped back toward the map.
"We have incoming."
The black mass continued choking the dome's borders — until the number above the camp skyrocketed to 100%.
Gasps filled the room.
"Who the hell...?"
Vance's voice trailed off.
A white blip appeared high above the dome — small, distant — and began descending. As it approached, the spiders fled in every direction, scrambling away from the incoming force.
"Did we have anyone out on assignment who could do this?" Vance asked.
"No!" someone shouted.
Vance's eyes locked on Zora.
"Polaris, you'll be the ones to greet this unknown variable. Zap will be on standby in case it goes sideways."
Zora met the eyes of her team.
Each one gave her a nod.
"They'll make landfall in twenty seconds."
Zora turned sharply, jogging toward the exit of the EWA. The rest of her team falling into step behind her.