Rejected by the Alpha, Claimed by the Beast
He poured the memory of his parents' death, the cold nights in the Council's cages, the feeling of Kaima’s hand in his, and the love that had sustained him through three simulations and a war.
He gave the machine his **Future**.
The watch didn't break. It **Melted**.
The silver metal turned into a liquid, white fire that flowed into Rowan’s chest. The red light vanished. The ticking stopped.
For a second, there was absolute silence.
Then, the ship in the sky let out a sound like a dying whale. The blue tear began to shrink, the edges curling inward like burning paper. The silver spheres fell to the ground, their lights going dark.