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    Chapter 31: The Choice


    Zak Carter had never been more afraid.


    The QSE’s core pulsed violently, the harmonic frequencies reaching their peak. Energy crackled through the chamber, wrapping around him like an electric storm, vibrating deep into his bones.


    The control panel was waiting.


    One final switch.


    One choice.


    <ul>


    <li>Activate the QSE and open the gate.</li>


    <li>Shut it down and seal whatever was on the other side—forever.</li>


    </ul>


    The voice from beyond the anomaly echoed in his mind.


    "The Architects lied to you. You build their prison."


    The Architects’ final warning rang just as loudly.


    "They were never meant to return."


    Zak’s heart pounded.


    Who was telling the truth?


    EOSA’s Last Transmission


    Dr. Raines stood at the heart of EOSA’s control center, staring at the growing horror on the main screen.


    The anomaly wasn’t just expanding anymore.


    It was taking shape.


    Dark tendrils of unidentifiable matter stretched through the distortion, writhing in a way that defied physics. And behind them—


    A shadow.


    Something was coming through.


    Raines turned to his team, his voice urgent.


    “Re-establish the link with Zak! Now!”


    “We’re trying,” an engineer stammered. “But the signal—it’s being blocked. Something’s hijacking our comms.”


    Raines clenched his fists.


    He knew who was blocking the signal.


    The Dominion.


    The Dominion’s Betrayal


    Agent Connors stood in a classified underground bunker, staring at the same satellite feeds as EOSA.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    But unlike Raines, he wasn’t panicking.


    He was waiting.


    A Dominion officer turned to him. “Orders, sir?”


    Connors didn’t hesitate.


    “Let him activate the machine.”


    The officer flinched. “Sir?”


    Connors’ voice was flat.


    “The Architects’ barrier has kept them locked away for centuries. If they’re coming back, we need to see what we’re dealing with.”


    He turned to face the screen, his face expressionless.


    “If the world’s going to burn, I’d rather know who’s holding the match.”


    Inside the QSE Chamber


    Zak’s hands hovered over the switch.


    He could feel the decision pressing against his skull, the weight of it crushing.


    His whole life—everything had led to this moment.


    His mind screamed in two directions.


    <ul>


    <li>If the Architects were right, he was about to unleash something that should never have returned.</li>


    <li>If the Architects were wrong, then he was about to trap an ancient civilization in an eternal prison—and become the villain of history.</li>


    </ul>


    Zak looked at SDI.


    The AI’s interface pulsed, its voice perfectly neutral.


    “This decision is yours, Zak Carter. I cannot make it for you.”


    Zak exhaled.


    Then—


    He made his choice.


    And everything exploded.


    The Gate Opens


    A shockwave erupted from the QSE’s core, sending Zak sprawling backward.


    The Antiquus Porta roared to life, its metallic structure twisting, warping as energy surged through it.


    A tear in space formed before his eyes.


    The harmonic triad locked into place.


    The gate was open.


    And something stepped through.


    Zak couldn’t breathe.


    The air crackled.


    A figure emerged from the swirling distortion—a being unlike anything he had ever seen.


    It was tall, draped in shimmering energy, its form flickering between shapes that Zak’s mind struggled to comprehend.


    Its eyes locked onto his.


    And then—


    It spoke.


    "You have freed us."


    Zak’s stomach dropped.


    He didn’t know if he had saved humanity.


    Or doomed it.


    EOSA’s Horror


    Dr. Raines and his team watched in horror as the live feed from Zak’s facility transmitted the impossible.


    The thing standing in the gate… wasn’t human.


    It wasn’t anything they could define.


    The Dominion officer near Connors paled. “Sir—what do we do?”


    Connors didn’t answer.


    For the first time, he looked afraid.


    Then, the creature turned its head.


    Looking directly at the satellite camera.


    It had seen them.


    And then—


    The screen went black.


    The Voice in the Dark


    Zak tried to move.


    He couldn’t.


    He was locked in place, frozen in the presence of whatever had stepped through the gate.


    The being’s voice reverberated through the chamber.


    "The Architects were right to fear us."


    Zak’s breath hitched.


    No.


    No, no, no—


    "But they misunderstood our purpose."


    Zak’s hands shook.


    The being stepped forward.


    And then—


    It extended its hand.


    "Come, Zak Carter. It is time to finish what we started."


    Zak stared.


    And slowly…


    He reached out.