Makali did not answer immediately.
He looked down at his hands, fingers interlocked tightly.
When he finally spoke, his voice had changed—less clinical, more reflective.
"Serin Valis," he began slowly, "was one of our lead researchers. Brilliant. Uncompromising. Dangerous in the way only visionaries can be."
He lifted his eyes to meet Yours.
"She headed a prototype initiative known as Project Hound."
Leonora's posture straightened slightly at the name.
Makali continued.
"The Hound unit was unlike any orbiton we had ever designed. It was not merely an advancement of existing Royal Knight architecture. It was an attempt to bridge something we barely understood."
He paused.
"To integrate technology derived from the God Units."
The room grew still.
Youri's expression hardened.
Makali nodded faintly.
"Yes. She was the one who led the effort to reverse-engineer their synchronization systems."
He stood and moved toward a wall console, activating a series of secured schematics. A holographic projection of a God Unit core assembly appeared—layers of structure peeling away until a smaller structure beneath the primary core became visible.
"You see this?" Makali pointed. "Located just beneath the primary core. We call it the cortex."
Youri leaned forward slightly.
Makali continued.
"The cortex is separate from the core itself. Yet functionally… it mirrors it. Through sync readings and field analysis, we discovered that this component plays a critical role in the God Units' most complex systems."
He turned back toward them.
"In simpler terms, the cortex is the coordinator. It links the core directly to the pilot's neurological interface. It behaves almost like a secondary artifact implant."
Youri instinctively reached behind his neck, fingertips brushing the faint ridge of his own implant.
Leonora noticed the motion.
"And how," she asked sharply, "does that connect to the orbiton we encountered?"
Makali returned to his chair, exhaling slowly.
"The cortex is constructed from the same exotic alloy as artifact implants. Durable. Energy-conductive. Highly reactive under specific resonance conditions."
He hesitated.
"We cut into one."
Silence fell heavier this time.
"Serin led the disassembly," he continued. "Piece by piece. Molecular layer by molecular layer."
His eyes drifted toward the holographic cortex model.
"That is when she discovered something we had never considered."
He tapped the console.
The cortex projection flared, revealing an internal microstructure—dense, luminous, unstable.
"Synchronization mode," Makali said quietly, "is not a function of the core."
Youri's eyes narrowed.
"It is the cortex itself."
He let the words settle.
"The cortex contains a compact micro-atomic fuel lattice—a self-igniting, self-regenerating singularity matrix. In theory… it is an infinite micro-energy source."
Leonora frowned.
"That still does not explain why synchronization mode drains the pilot's life force."
Youri spoke before Makali could.
"If it's a fuel source, why does activation kill the operator?"
Makali leaned forward again, fingers steepled.
"The difference lies in compatibility."
He brought up two models side by side: a God Unit core and a Terrian brion core.
"When a God Unit activates synchronization mode, the cortex expands the energy channel between itself and the primary core. The connection widens exponentially."
The projection demonstrated the channel flaring open like a star.
"Unlimited energy floods through."
"And the life force?" Leonora pressed.
Makali nodded.
"The God Unit core does not discriminate. It draws power from the cortex—and from the pilot—at proportional rates. The wider the channel, the greater the intake. The pilot becomes an auxiliary fuel source."
Youri's jaw tightened.
"The cortex feeds the core," Makali said quietly, "and the core feeds on the pilot."
A heavy silence lingered.
Makali turned off the projection.
"Our artificial cortex prototypes were different. Serin came remarkably close to replicating the original structure—but there was a crucial limitation."
He activated another schematic—this time of a Terrian brion core.
"We did not possess a God Unit core capable of handling infinite energy flow. Our orbitons rely on brion cores—condensed mass-energy systems engineered by Molly Orbi."
Leonora nodded faintly at the mention of the legendary architect.
"Brion cores operate through siphon cycling," Makali explained. "They condense and release energy in controlled oscillations depending on output demand and synchronization ratio."
"And they cannot sustain infinite input," Youri said flatly.
"Correct."
Makali leaned back.
"Serin's artificial cortex could generate approximately eighteen percent of the original God Unit output."
"Only eighteen?" Leonora asked.
Makali gave a humorless smile.
"Only. Even at eighteen percent, our brion cores could withstand a single activation before catastrophic implosion."
The hologram displayed simulated core rupture events.
"Serin conducted dozens of tests. Every iteration failed."
He paused.
"And that is when her obsession began."
Youri watched him carefully.
"She concluded the flaw was not in the cortex," Makali continued. "It was in the core. So she set out to build a new one."
He brought up another schematic—angular, more aggressive in design.
"Project Hound."
Leonora folded her hands together.
"Explain."
Makali nodded.
"Unlike brion cores—which are condensed masses of brion energy—the Hound core was designed to operate using energy generated directly by the artificial cortex."
Youri's eyes sharpened.
"Meaning?"
"Instead of siphoning brion mass," Makali said, "the Hound core trapped cortex-generated particles inside a reflective containment matrix. The core did not generate power—it stabilized it."
The schematic shifted, revealing a dense field of luminous particles bouncing within a sealed chamber.
"We later referred to it as the Valis Particle Fusion Core."
Youri's gaze flickered.
"Valis," he repeated quietly.
Makali inclined his head.
"Named after her. The core captured what we began calling Valis particles—the byproduct of artificial cortex ignition. The reflective coating held the particle flow in a stabilized loop."
"And it worked?" Leonora asked.
"For a time," Makali said. "The Hound core could contain sustained output far beyond brion limitations."
He hesitated.
"But the reflective coating degraded under constant exposure. It could not withstand the perpetual flow. Instability accumulated. Failure became inevitable."
Leonora crossed her arms carefully.
"And funding ran out."
Makali nodded once.
"The Empire deemed the project too volatile. Too expensive. Too ethically questionable."
He looked at Youri.
"Serin refused to accept termination. She continued researching privately—off record. She believed she was one breakthrough away from rewriting orbiton technology forever."
"And then?" Youri asked.
"She left Terria."
The room felt colder.
"Her research on the Valis Particle Fusion Core was sealed and buried in our deepest archives."
Makali leaned back in his chair, eyes drifting once more to the projection of the rogue orbiton Youri had shown earlier.
"The armor configuration. The twin dorsal cannons. The energy signature spike beyond conventional thresholds."
He exhaled slowly.
"With professional certainty… I can say the unit you encountered is the Hound."
Silence.
"And if that is true," Leonora said quietly, "then she succeeded."
Makali's voice dropped to almost a whisper.
"Yes."
His eyes met Yours.
"She stabilized the Valis Particle Fusion Core."