Ryan stood in the garden as the door of light pulsed gently before him.
The Ancients had been watching for days now—their ancient eyes filled with curiosity, their vast presence pressing against the edges of the web. They hadn't tried to cross through. They hadn't threatened. They simply watched.
But Ryan knew it couldn't last forever.
"They're going to want to come through eventually," he said.
Mira appeared beside him. "I know. But they're not ready yet. They're still learning."
Ryan looked at his daughter. "Learning what?"
"What it means to be part of something. They've been alone for so long. They forgot what connection felt like."
---
The fragments gathered in the garden.
Their red lights flickered with a new energy—not nervous, not fearful. Curious. The Ancients' presence wa
