[VOLUME 16: THE FIRES OF GENESIS][ARC 4: THE PILLARS OF GENESIS]
Agony was no longer just a sensation for Elara; it was a geography.
Inside the Pillar of Genesis, she was splayed in mid-air, her nervous system humming as it integrated with the ancient stone and the planet's tectonic veins. Every time the Parent Parasite's massive, fleshy roots slammed into the barrier outside, Elara felt it like a sledgehammer to her own ribs.
Li... Aldren... Wukong... Shahen...
She could feel them. Through the soul-tether and the resonant frequency of the Pillar, their lifeforces shone like four brilliant, defiant suns against the encroaching white rot of the parasite.
Outside the Pillar
The sky was a churning mess of white static and golden dust. The Parent Parasite—a creature the size of a mountain range—loomed over the Cradle of Genesis. Millions of lidless, weeping eyes blinked across its pulsating hide, all focused with singular, hungry intent on the glowing girl inside the spire.
