Morning came slowly over Eidion, casting soft amber light across the mountain where the corrupted core had been shattered. The remnants of the battle were still etched into the earth—scars from magic and memory alike. Valerian stood at the summit's edge, silent, observing the horizon. For once, the sky was calm.
But calm wasn't peace.
Behind him, Kael, Selene, and Lira were regrouping, nursing their wounds and sharing sparse rations conjured from the world's ambient energy. Their expressions were serious, drawn—not just from exhaustion, but the dawning realization that this battle hadn't been the end.
It had been a beginning.
Selene joined him first, her steps light despite the fatigue in her eyes.
"We've seen the first backlash. That thing you fought—some version of the original system's architect—was just one ghost."
"I know," Valerian murmured. "There are others. Different fail-safes. Fractures in the world's foundation."
He held out his hand.
