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THE GENESIS FLAME

“Why would someone make a portal this way?” she contin-
ued. “It almost appeared deliberately destructive.”
Valentine’s Time signature sliced through their perception
and cut o¤ Malcom’s reply. She approached from a direction
he didn’t expect. He peered skyward.
“More coming?” Asha raised her weapons.
“It’s Val,” Malcolm said as a distant ‡gure burst through
the clouds.
“And someone else.” John slid his goggles on, tapped the
side, and sti¤ened. “It’s a machine.”
Malcolm opened to Time once again, willing Entropy Blades
to form around his hands.
“If something took her hostage . . .” he began.
“I’ll slice it to shreds,” Asha ‡nished.
John quietly selected an arrow, nocked it, and waited.
But as Valentine drew closer, something struck Malcolm.
He held up a hand. “Wait. She’s not struggling.”
A moment later, Valentine’s feet touched the grass. She
rushed toward them.
“Oh, thank God. I felt the other portal open here.”
“It was a shock, but we’re good,” Malcolm said.
“They weren’t ready for us,” Asha said, standing tall.
Valentine gave them quick hugs, then held onto John, shar-
ing comforting whispers.
Malcolm nudged Asha and nodded toward Valentine’s
mysterious companion. It di¤ered from the other machines.
They had been white and chrome, with pleasant faces and soft
voices that ran counter to their ferocity.
This one, though, was midnight purple with splashes of sil-
ver and black. Instead of smooth armor, it was more segmented
and layered, like futuristic dragon scales. Something about the

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