Chapter 5 - The Roar That Wasn't a WeaponThe scream traveled through the city.

Millions of voices.

Millions of bodies.

Then silence.

Alex felt the vibration.

But something was different.

The Roar wasn't coming from above.

It was coming from inside the walls.

Kael covered his ears.

Daren fell to one knee.

The commander smiled.

"Now."

Alex collapsed.

Images flashed behind her eyes.

A red bicycle.

Her mother's face.

A room filled with white light.

A woman screaming.

A machine.

And a symbol.

The same circle with three lines.

Only this time, Alex saw what was inside it.

A human hand.

She gasped.

The Roar stopped.

Everyone around her remained frozen.

Everyone except Alex.

She stood.

Slowly.

The commander stared.

"No."

Kael looked at her.

"You stayed conscious."

Alex could barely breathe.

"I saw something."

"What?"

"My mother."

"Where?"

"In the machine."

The commander rushed forward.

Kael fired.

The commander stumbled back.

"Move!"

They escaped through a service corridor.

Behind them, alarms exploded across the underground city.

Daren grabbed Alex.

"What did you see?"

"Her."

"Your mother?"

"Yes."

"Alive?"

Alex nodded.

"She was strapped to something."

Kael looked at Daren.

Daren understood.

"The chamber."

"What chamber?"

"The original Roar chamber."

Alex stopped.

"What is it?"

Kael turned toward her.

"A machine built before the Vael arrived."

"By humans?"

"No."

"Then who?"

"Us."

Alex stared.

"Your people built the first Roar?"

Kael shook his head.

"No."

His expression was grim.

"The Vael discovered it."

They continued running.

Suddenly Kael grabbed Alex's face and forced her to look at him.

"Listen."

"What?"

"You've been hearing the Roar wrong."

Alex frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"It doesn't paralyze everyone."

"What?"

"It identifies compatible minds."

Alex felt her blood run cold.

"The people who collapse..."

"Can't receive it."

"And me?"

"You can."

"Why?"

Kael didn't answer.

They reached another chamber.

Inside was a huge circular machine.

Half-finished cables hung from the ceiling.

A screen displayed a sequence of numbers.

Daren touched it.

The screen changed.

PROJECT DAUGHTER.

Alex stopped.

"What is Project Daughter?"

No one answered.

Then a recording activated.

A woman's face appeared.

Older.

Tired.

Scar across her cheek.

Alex forgot how to breathe.

"Mom?"

The woman looked directly into the camera.

"Alex, if you're seeing this, I'm probably dead."

Alex stepped closer.

Her mother continued.

"I need you to understand one thing."

Static crackled.

"The Vael did not conquer humanity."

The recording distorted.

"They were running from us."

Alex froze.

Behind her, Kael whispered:

"No."

Her mother's face returned.

"The war never began on Earth."

"It began somewhere beneath it."

The screen went black.

A voice came from the doorway.

"She lied."

Alex turned.

The commander stood there again.

Blood covered his armor.

And behind him stood an army.

"Your mother wasn't trying to save humanity."

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He raised a weapon.

"She was trying to save the Vael from you."