Chapter 69: The World After
Silence stretched across Astra Haven.
Not the silence of death, but of endurance.
The shields no longer shimmered with the furious glow of the surge. The storms outside had faded into a dim, molten twilight — a bruised sky that pulsed faintly with residual energy. From within, the domes were steady and whole, their light soft, the hum of the generators a quiet heartbeat beneath the surface.
Ava stood alone in the command spire, staring out through the observation glass. For the first time in weeks, the horizon didn't shift or tear. The planet was still bleeding light, but the chaos had slowed. The air no longer trembled. The deep cracks that split the world glowed faintly red, like veins of magma cooled to embers.
> "Resonance activity: ninety-eight percent dissipated," Cream Puff reported in her usual calm tone, her projection a faint silver glow beside Ava. "Planetary stabilization phase initiated. Core vibrations normalizing."
