Green Lantern's Blight!

**Time:** 1702 AA / 1818 AD

**Location:** Sector Boundary, Sector 3601

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The void at the Sector's edge was an ocean of cold silence, pierced only by the steady glow of the breach ahead. A jagged tear of writhing black energy hovered in space, shifting and pulsing as though it were alive. Each pulse was a whisper of threat, a reminder that my grip on control was under constant assault.

I hovered in place, my Ring blazing with emerald light. The defense grid shimmered behind me, a web of constructs and energy barriers, poised and ready. The hum of power in my veins was intoxicating, like standing on the edge of a storm, knowing that I held the lightning.

But behind that thrill was an itch of uncertainty, a crack in the armor I'd spent centuries crafting.

Thala and Sul-Da floated nearby. Thala's crimson aura flickered like a beacon of restraint, while Sul-Da's blue energy pulsed erratically, betraying his nerves.

"It's bigger than the last one," Sul-Da said, his voice barely masking his fear. "Is the grid strong enough?"

"It'll hold," I said, the words sharper than I intended.

Thala shot me a glance. "And if it doesn't?"

I clenched my jaw. "Then we make it hold."

She didn't argue, but the doubt in her eyes spoke volumes. A part of me wanted to snap at her, to remind her that hesitation was weakness. But another part—the part I refused to acknowledge—wondered if her doubt was justified.

The breach pulsed again, a tendril of darkness reaching out, testing the edges of our defenses. The shields shimmered in response, holding the darkness back, for now.

"Ring," I ordered, "scan the breach. Give me everything."

**++ Scanning. Energy signature consistent with previous anomalies. Dimensional instability increasing. Breach expansion imminent. ++**

"Then we'll close it," I said through gritted teeth. "We have the power. We're not letting this thing spread."

Thala's voice was calm, but firm. "Michael, it's not just about power. We need to understand what's causing this. If we keep sealing breaches without knowing what's behind them, we're just patching holes in a sinking ship."

"We don't have time to play detective," I snapped. "The longer it's open, the more danger we're in."

"And if closing it just makes things worse?" she pressed. "What if there's something we're not seeing?"

I turned to face her, my eyes blazing. "What I see is a threat to my Sector. My home. And I'm not going to stand here and *do nothing* while it spreads."

She held my gaze, unflinching. "No one's saying to do nothing. But maybe doing the same thing over and over isn't working."

Her words clawed at something inside me. Logic told me she had a point. But accepting that felt like surrender. It felt like *weakness.* And weakness was something I couldn't afford.

I exhaled slowly, the Ring's energy pulsing around my hand. "Fine. We'll try to analyze it. But the second it becomes a threat, I'm sealing it."

Thala nodded. "Fair enough."

I turned back to the breach, my jaw tight. "Ring, initiate deep scan. Isolate energy patterns and dimensional signatures."

**++ Deep scan initiated. Processing… ++**

The Ring's glow intensified, beams of green light slicing through the void, illuminating the breach. The tendrils of darkness recoiled slightly, as though aware they were being scrutinized.

The seconds dragged on, each one a test of my patience. I could feel the itch to act, to *do something*, gnawing at my mind. Control was power, but waiting—waiting felt like giving up control.

Finally, the Ring spoke.

**++ Scan complete. Energy source identified. Origin: Interdimensional entity. Energy signature suggests intelligence. ++**

My blood ran cold.

"Intelligence?" Sul-Da's voice wavered. "You mean… it's alive?"

"Not just alive," Thala said, her eyes wide with realization. "It's *thinking.* It's testing us."

I swallowed the sudden surge of dread. A thinking enemy was worse than a mindless one. It meant strategy. Adaptation. And worst of all—persistence.

"If it's testing us, then we give it a reason to back off," I said, my voice cold. "Ring, prepare an energy compression beam. Target the breach's core."

Thala's eyes flashed with frustration. "Michael, wait! If it's intelligent, attacking it might escalate the situation. We need to find a way to communicate."

"And what if it doesn't want to talk?" I shot back. "What if it's just waiting for a chance to strike?"

"And what if attacking it makes it strike faster?" she countered.

I hesitated, my teeth grinding together. The Ring's glow pulsed, waiting for my command. The weight of the decision pressed down on me, every second stretching into an eternity.

I wanted to crush the breach, to assert dominance, to *prove* that no one could threaten me and survive. But doubt twisted in my gut, Thala's words echoing in my mind.

"Michael," Sul-Da said softly, "maybe strength isn't just about power. Maybe it's about knowing when to use it."

The words struck like a hammer against glass. The control I'd clung to felt brittle, fragile. And for the first time, I wondered if holding on so tightly was making things worse.

I took a deep breath. "Ring… pause attack protocol."

**++ Attack protocol paused. ++**

Thala let out a breath, relief flickering across her face. "Let's see if we can understand what we're dealing with before we destroy it."

I nodded, the decision sitting heavy in my chest. "But if this goes south, we shut it down. Fast."

"Agreed," she said.

We turned to face the breach together, the tendrils of darkness pulsing like a heartbeat. For the first time, I let the uncertainty settle in, a crack in my rigid control.

Maybe strength wasn't just about power.

But I wasn't ready to let go of it yet.