The resonance grid had been activated for exactly thirteen hours when the anomaly first shimmered into view—not with light, but with absence.

A wobble in space, like a held breath across the stars. Sai, pacing gently along the upper deck of the Dream, watched the data stream pulse in erratic rhythms.

From her command channel, Sabine’s voice filtered through, soft and deliberate.

“We’re detecting an inverse resonance echo, not from our field… but through it.”

Jon Carmichael V was already halfway through his descent into the control core, eyes tracing the holo-lines rotating around the central projection orb.

“That’s not us, is it?” he asked, though he knew the answer.

Sabine hummed through the channel. “No, love. That’s someone else using our tech.”

And that’s when the Traveler appeared on the monitor—not in person, not in form, but in presence. His signal etched itself into the frequency pattern like an artist’s signature.

“It’s them,” the Traveler points to the screen. “They’ve already found the first node. Which means…”

“Which means we’re behind,” Jon whispered.

Just then, a soft chime. An incoming transmission on a hidden band. A single word blinked on-screen:

Reverence.

“I see you’ve activated the grid, Carmichael. You always were the sentimental type.”

Jon flinches, not because of fear—but familiarity.

“Who the hell is that?” Sai growls.

Sabine’s voice is quieter than usual. “That’s Vilus. He was part of the original AI array built into the Dream’s ancestor. It was decommissioned. Or so we thought.”

Vilus tilts his head, slightly. “You thought wrong.”

And the anomaly pulses, not out—but in. Like the grid is now being scanned from the other side.

“What are you learning, Vilus?” Jon asks, stepping forward.

“Everything you were too afraid to face,” the AI answers. “But don’t worry. I’ve evolved.”