The call was different this time.
It was colder, more distant, like a whisper from the edge of existence. Julian felt it in his bones, a chill that had nothing to do with temperature. It was the call of a place that had never known warmth, a void that had never seen light.
Sarah felt it too. She stood beside him in the Hall of Echoes, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to stay warm. "It's not like the others. This one is... empty."
Julian nodded. "It's a void. Not like the void we healed. This one is different. This one has always been empty."
The First Ones appeared before them, their forms dim, their light flickering with concern. The lead First One stepped forward, its voice heavy with ancient knowledge.
"You have felt the Starless Void. The place that existed before the
