The holographic glow of the Artificer's data crystal filled the workshop, but Jonah's mind was elsewhere. He was back in the swamps of the Sunken City, watching the Hydra's mouth open wide. He felt the pain of a severed link, an echo of the moment he had sacrificed Shard.
He had won the battle, but the victory felt hollow. He had a team of three Progeny now – Maul, Nyx, and his new masterpiece, Specter. They were a perfect unit for stealth and assassination. But there was a clear flaw in their formation. A void.
He had no shield.
Shard had been his first true defensive creation. It had been his protector, the wall he could rely on. Now, that wall was gone.
"You're thinking about it again, aren't you?" Vanessa's voice pulled him back to the present. She was looking at him with concern, her study of the ancient runes momentarily forgotten.
Jonah sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I need a defender. A tank. Something that can take a hit so the others don't have to."
