The enormous stone gate trembled.
Cracks spread across its ancient surface as streams of silver light escaped through the seams.
Linh stood frozen.
The second handprint had almost completely vanished.
Only hers remained.
"No..."
She looked toward her brother.
"This is wrong."
The little boy smiled gently.
"It isn't."
"It chose you."
"I don't want it to choose me!"
She grabbed his shoulders.
"We survived all this just to lose each other again?"
For the first time...
The child looked like an ordinary eight-year-old.
His eyes filled with tears.
"I've already been gone for twenty-eight years."
The words shattered her heart.
Professor Nguyen stepped toward the gate.
"The Archive isn't rejecting him."
"It's recognizing reality."
Linh turned sharply.
"What does that mean?"
