A blinding flash of white engulfed the tower's midsection, and a deafening blast ripped through the air, followed by a brutal, concussive shockwave that tore across every surface.
Carl was thrown against the back of his chair, his breath knocked clean from his lungs. Metal panels groaned and screeched, vibrating as though a god's hammer had struck the tower's core.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then chaos erupted.
Carl staggered upright, blinking away the ringing in his ears.
"What the hell is going on? Report!" he barked, spitting blood from the side of his mouth as his voice sliced through the panic.
Technicians scrambled, their hands flying across glowing runes as reports flooded in one after another.
"The foundation—!"
"The entire base layer's been compromised!"
"Support nodes are failing!"
"Structural integrity dropping—"
"Collapse imminent!"
Carl's breath caught in his throat.
That... wasn't possible.
