THE PROFESSOR'S DIRTY CLAIM
The rooftop of the ruined Apex tower had become the final battlefield of gods and mortals, a fractured altar where the Architect hovered like a deity who had grown weary of creation. Its androgynous form shimmered with shifting constellations, tentacles of pure light extending like living promises and threats. The Lagos night stretched below them, the city a warzone of fire and blue energy, hybrids howling in the streets as the signal pulsed through the air. Alex’s swollen belly pressed heavily against his tactical vest, the hybrid child kicking with increasing urgency, its tiny tentacles brushing against the inside of his skin. The leather collar around his throat and the platinum chain ben