Mara placed her hand on the console. The crystal’s surface rippled, and a voice echoed—not Alexis’s, but a deeper resonance, the voice of the *system* itself.

> *“// INSERT FRAGMENT HERE”*

A small, floating holo‑drone zipped into view. Its identifier read **Q‑Sentry 01**, a security protocol built into the crystal by Alexis herself. The drone projected a translucent shield around the core, a barrier that would prevent any external manipulation.