The main video feed was trained on the portal at Boundary Bay, but other screens showed footage of Angelina, Heidi, and Sarah live as they flew through the rain, though Nep was conspicuously absent.

The waters stirred. Though the nursery’s entrance was closed, huge waves emanated from the centre, rippling out and splashing high against the shores of the bay. On the side cameras, it was clear that Heidi and Sarah had noticed the movement, video feed following them as they hurried towards its source.

“The video is from the pigeons?” I asked.

Ecto nodded. “For you. I, of course, can simply see what it sees. But it’s been converted to a form that you can understand.”

“Seems an awful lot of work just to show off to your enemies.”

“I like showing off.”

It seems he hadn’t noticed the blade poking out of my palm. Slowly, carefully, I let it shimmy out. Just the blade would be enough to cut the cloth restraints and get me free.

On-screen, the water parted. Deep cracks split the seafloor, sending the water rushing into a whirlpool, thundering down into the gaps. Steam hissed as it reached the heat within and vaporized, casting a mist over the area.

I could feel the serrated edge of the blade poking against my carapace and tried to twist my arm enough to get it against the fabric. Just a little further...

Heidi and Sarah were approaching the bay, the cameras following them merging with the main feed as they reached the bay. By this point the people who were still out in the rain had scattered, running inland from what they must have assumed was a freak storm surge or tornado. Between the steam and surf, black tendrils reached out into the sky, much as I’d seen before.

“Watch.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m watching.” I felt the edge catch on my restraints, the blade cutting through them slowly.

Following the black tendrils were white blades that pierced the water’s surface, glistening, crystalline. Ice. As the Echo broke the water’s surface, it became clear just how large it was. A huge mass of obsidian, covered in smooth but sharp edges, giving off steam as it rose up and up out of the water. Pillar-like legs thundered with each step towards the shoreline.

“It’s an elephant,” I said.

“Correction. It’s a mammoth.” Behind it, more echoes began to emerge from the water, swimming to shore. Heidi and Sarah zipped around them, doing what they could, but there was little they could do alone against such numbers.

My blade cut through the last strips of fabric. Now freed, I carefully moved my hands, slowly so as not to draw his attention. The glaive slipped out of my palm and into my grip just as I swung around to slash. Glass shattered. Vespa was free. Hooray.

He stepped out of the way. “Oops.” The pigeons swarmed around him, knocking me over as he... turned and ran? “I guess that’s my cue to go.”

Go? He sprinted down the hall. “Where do you think you’re going?” I flew after him.

How was he so fast? I barely caught a glimpse of his navy-blue suit running out the door, slamming it shut behind him. I opened it to follow but was distracted by the snow. Snow. The torrential rain had stopped, replaced by a blizzard blowing outside. The ground was icy. The streets were filled with Echoes, myriad strange, rocky forms swarming about and destroying everything in sight. Cars screeched on the ice to avoid them, drivers panicking and pedestrians scattering in confusion. But standing still, just across the street, Ecto stood, wearing a white suit. Behind him, the mammoth Echo stood, four stories tall and towering over the street. It picked him up with his trunk and set him on its head before vanishing into the storm.

“This might be a problem,” said Vespa.