The silence in the room was dense, like a held breath that no one dared to release.
Akamir was the first to move.
"Urgh."
He staggered to his feet, steadying himself on the edge of the desk.
His breath came in short, clipped gasps as he calmed himself down.
His eyes flicked over the now-dormant core and the faint scorch marks lining the walls.
Milo was still on her knees, coughing as she tried to shake off the disorientation.
Velyrian, on the other hand, was grinning actually grinning as he stared at the still-spinning rings of the Dyson sphere.
"It worked," Velyrian whispered, his eyes wild with awe. "The core stabilized… the rift opened... it worked."
Akamir turned, a gaze that could make any man tremble. "You think that was a success?"
Velyrian didn't look at him.
He was still fixated on the sphere like a man hypnotized.
"The energy lines responded. The stabilizers held—just barely, but they held. That means the theory is sound. That means—"
