Chapter 200: Grand Finale

Chapter 200: Grand Finale

David's expression didn't change. "Coordinates, gods—doesn't matter."

He pressed both hands against the hilt and drove the blade forward. The edge pierced through the meteorite core, and the sound of shattering spread through the temple.

The fervor drained from Brady's face, leaving only fear.

Dark red light erupted from the Origin Meteorite, burrowing into his veins and tearing through his skin.

"No! David! You have no idea what you're throwing away!"

David kicked him square in the chest.

Brady stumbled backward, his body slamming against the altar. The meteorite embedded in his chest shattered. Countless red beams invaded his body, then burst outward—from his back, his eyes, his throat.

The crimson patterns racing across his face went dark. His skin cracked. His bones caved in.

The man who had called himself a god writhed at the foot of the altar for a few seconds before his entire body crumbled to ash.

The main fragment of the Origin Meteorite hung in midair, split into dozens of pieces, and dissolved into light.

David glanced up.

Mia's voice crackled through the earpiece: "David... all readings under the volcano... in the red... get out now!"

The altar beneath him gave way.

Magma surged through the cracks. Power conduits exploded in sequence. The black temple tilted. The alloy bridges snapped into segments. Tons of stone plummeted from the dome.

David sheathed his blade, scooped up the scattered fragments, and released a telekinetic burst. A spherical force field enveloped his body.

He shattered the edge of the altar and launched toward the collapsing ceiling. "Mia. Position."

"Three hundred meters above the crater! Move it—this whole mountain's about to sink into the ocean!"

David shot into the rising thermal current.

The temple collapsed behind him. The magma lake had gone completely haywire. The main pump exploded into a fireball. The entire volcano split open from within. A column of crimson fire rocketed skyward. The ocean around the island churned violently.

When David emerged from the crater, the night sky was choked with ash and flame.

The evac chopper hovered at the edge of the storm zone.

Mia sat in the pilot's seat. "Get over here!"

David adjusted his trajectory midair, telekinetically slowing his descent, and landed on the footboard outside the cabin.

Mia gritted her teeth and pulled up. "Next time, board like a normal person, would you?"

David climbed inside. "No."

"I'm so sick of hearing that." Mia turned to look at him, eyes red. "Next time, say something nice."

David kissed her forehead. Mia froze for a second, then flushed. "You bastard. Great timing."

The chopper tore away from the island at full speed.

The volcano let out one final roar. The center of the island fractured. The mountain sank into the sea. Seawater flooded the interior. White steam punched into the clouds.

The remaining structures of the Soul Sanctum were destroyed and dragged into the Pacific.

Devereaux's voice came over the comms channel: "Boss, outer perimeter's secure. Satellite feed shows the island's gone."

Hassan chimed in. "Soul Sanctum global nodes are going offline. Our people are taking over residual data."

Lon joined the channel. He stared at the screen—at David, covered in wounds—and took a long moment before speaking. "Is it over, kid?"

David looked out the window at the sunken volcano. "It's over."

---

Six months later. The Brown Villa, Lake Geneva.

A long table stood on the lawn, set with white napkins, roast turkey, apple pie, steak, whiskey, and a few bottles of California red—all arranged like an American family gathering.

Devereaux didn't like too much salt, so he'd gone off to grill beef ribs himself.

Raynor stood nearby in a suit, wineglass in hand, fading scars still visible on his face.

Last quarter's corporate report was out. The gray-market operations had been scrubbed clean.

Medical platforms, clean energy, deep-space materials—all three divisions were profitable.

Freya had announced that if anyone still called them a "terrorist organization," she'd personally shove a cease-and-desist letter down their throat.

Devereaux flipped the steaks. "She's got such a way with words."

Veda sat on a bench by the lake, expression serene.

Joseph sat beside her, holding a cup of hot coffee, his face finally free of tension.

"David." Joseph looked up at the man approaching. "If your parents could see you today, they'd be so proud."

David stopped in front of him.

Joseph stood and clapped him on the shoulder. "I wish you could've lived a normal life. But you've gone too far for that."

Veda looked up with a smile. "Can you stop now?"

"I can." David's tone was light.

Veda's smile widened, her eyes brimming. "Good. That's good. I applied to med school. When the semester starts, don't send thirty bodyguards after me."

Devereaux called out from across the lawn. "How about twenty-nine?"

Veda grabbed a napkin and hurled it at him. "Shut up, Devereaux!"

Everyone laughed.

Lon sat in the shade of the terrace, a blanket draped beside his wheelchair. He looked relaxed.

Mia walked over to David with a glass of wine. "Global Defense Council's done. Liam dug up fifty-seven high-level players. All military projects are frozen. Public hearings start next week."

"Good."

"That's all you've got?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "We just cleaned up half the world's dirty laundry."

David raised his glass and tapped it against hers. "Nice work."

Mia looked satisfied. "That'll do."

By evening, music drifted through the Brown Villa.

A drunk Devereaux tried to demonstrate American football moves for Hassan and knocked over a chair.

Raynor laughed so hard his wounds hurt.

Veda leaned against Joseph, talking about going to school in Boston.

Lon called David over. "You pulled the Brown family out of disaster."

David accepted the glass. "Maybe just traded it for a different kind of trouble."

Lon smiled. "Trouble will come again. But you're not that lost, helpless kid anymore."

David said nothing.

"Go live your life. Don't let the dead take up the rest of your days." Lon gazed out at the lake.

By night, the guests had left.

The Brown Villa returned to its usual quiet. David stood alone on the top-floor terrace.

The lake mirrored the stars. The wind carried the fresh scent of the vineyard over the railing.

Footsteps approached. Mia walked over with a folder and handed him the report. "Test results on the fragments came back."

David opened it. The report was full of complex spectra and physical parameters.

The meteorite's elemental structure didn't fit the known periodic table. Its internal particle arrangement didn't match any model humanity had on record...

Mia leaned against the railing. "Science division's losing it. They say this thing shouldn't exist on Earth."

"Where's it from, then?"

"Maybe a distant star system. Maybe a civilization we haven't encountered yet. What Brady said before he died—not all of it was crazy talk."

David closed the report.

Mia watched him. "Are you going to keep digging?"

David walked to the safe by the terrace, entered the code, and placed the report and fragments inside.

"No."

Mia studied him.

David turned toward the stars overhead. "It controlled too many people. It doesn't get to control me."

Mia stepped beside him and took his hand. "That line's killer. Perfect for a press release."

"Pass."

"Fine. Personal collection it is."

David looked down at her.

Mia rose onto her toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

The assassinations, the conspiracies—all of it was finally behind them. Deep space might still hold unknown civilizations, deeper secrets, dangers humanity couldn't explain.

But right now, he stood in the life he'd chosen.

That was enough.