TWO BOWLS BEFORE DAWN

The capital entered mandatory blackout on the fourth day.

For the first time in Ren'ō's life, La-Sol 7 saw stars.

He found Laana on the roof of Citadel Nine beneath a sky stripped of advertisements and traffic lanes. She had smuggled two bowls of noodles from the officers' kitchen and claimed the theft was necessary for scientific morale.

"You are a bad influence," Ren'ō said.

"I learned from security."

They sat beside an inactive defense turret. The wind smelled of hot metal and distant rain.

Laana ate slowly. Without laboratory light on her face, she looked younger. More tired. Human in a way the Science Division rarely permitted.

"Do you believe in fate?" she asked.

"No."

"That was quick."

"I have met military logistics. No intelligent force directs this universe."

She nudged his boot with hers. "I mean it. The Remnant reacting to you. My assignment here. Your unit being transferred at the exact moment the project became vulnerable."

"Coincidence wearing expensive clothing."

"You are determined to make everything sound unimpressive."

"It keeps expectations manageable."

Laana looked up at the stars. "Meeting you felt like fate."

Ren'ō stopped eating.

The western horizon flashed. The delayed thunder reached them as a low growl.

"That is a dangerous thing to say to a soldier," he said.

"Why?"

"We tend to die immediately after emotional honesty."

She laughed, but her eyes remained on him.

Ren'ō wanted to say something clean and worthy of the moment. Instead, he lifted his bowl.

"The noodles are acceptable."

"Coward."

"Scientist."

The city sirens began before dawn.

Every screen on the roof flickered alive with the same image: the outer defense line collapsing in silence. Ships disappeared one after another, not exploding, simply coming apart into clouds of glowing dust.

At the center of the formation stood the man from the archive.

Long black and white hair flowed around him in the vacuum. His red geometric pupils rotated once.

Every camera on La-Sol 7 turned toward him without command.

His voice entered the emergency network.

"You have carried stolen divinity long enough."

The planet's defense grid fired.

The sky became gold.

For three seconds, La-Sol 7 poured centuries of weapon development into one point.

When the light cleared, the War God remained.

He raised one hand.

The moon broke.

Ren'ō stood. The bowl fell from his fingers and shattered.

Laana was already running for the hatch.

"How long until synthesis?" he asked.

"Forty-three minutes."

"You have twenty."

"That is not how physics works."

Ren'ō drew his sidearm and followed her into the sirens.

"Then intimidate it."