Matt stood alone on the highest platform of the Grand Veil Spire as the sun slowly rose over the city. The sky turned from deep purple to soft pink and orange, and the light touched the rooftops like a gentle hand waking the world. He had not slept much the night before. The visions from the Codex had been stronger than usual, pulling at him with images of places he had never seen — vast empty spaces between layers of the Veil, where time moved strangely and old voices whispered things he could barely understand.
He felt different today. Not stronger in the usual way, but heavier. The weight of all the journeys, all the echoes he had helped, all the choices he had made to keep the balance. The hunger was still there, but it felt… older. Like it had grown up with him and was now waiting to
