The Prime Consciousness's invasion of their neural network lasted only seconds before Lyralei did something that shattered every expectation Reed had built about her: she let go.
Not surrender—liberation. Instead of fighting to maintain control over the collective consciousness that was being hijacked, she opened every barrier, every safeguard, every protective protocol she'd built around her mind. The vast alien intelligence that had been trying to inhabit their network suddenly found itself drowning in pure, unfiltered choice.
Every individual connected to the network felt it simultaneously: complete freedom to stay or leave, to submit or resist, to be part of something larger or remain utterly alone. For the first time in the history of collective consciousness, the decision belonged entirely to each person.
The Prime Consciousness recoiled like it had been burned.
