The message appeared at the clock tower at 4:43 a.m.
Marcus had been standing vigil, watching the golden threads pulse with quiet contentment. The final question was answered. The purpose was understood. The oneness was complete. Everything was as it should be.
But the message changed everything.
It was written in a language he had never seen before, but he could read it as clearly as his own name. The words burned across the stone like fire, pulsing with a light that was both beautiful and terrible.
THE ONENESS IS COMPLETE. THE FINAL QUESTION IS ANSWERED. BUT THE JOURNEY IS NOT OVER. THERE IS A PLACE BEYOND THE ONENESS. A PLACE WHERE ALL QUESTIONS BEGIN. WE INVITE YOU TO COME.
Marcus touched the message. It was warm, alive, pulsing with a rhythm that matched his heartbeat.
"Anna," h
