The staircase of stars stretched into eternity, each step suspended in an impossible void. Beneath them, no ground. Above, no sky. Just darkness—alive, watching, waiting.
Valerian led the way, each step echoing not in sound, but in sensation. Every footfall tugged at something inside him—threads of memories that weren't his. Pain that hadn't yet been felt. Victories that had never occurred. The system was silent, as if afraid.
Kael followed close behind, his blade drawn and crackling with latent energy. "Tell me this isn't some cosmic trap."
"It is," Selene replied coolly, her voice carrying more weight than usual. "But it's also a door. One that's never opened before."
Lira took up the rear, one hand on her dagger, the other steadying the crystal tablet nestled in a pouch strapped to Valerian's side. She glanced back once—there was no exit, no return. Only forward.
