The triumph of the Sunken City was a cold stone in Ren’s gut. The union, the crown of light, the allegiance of the clans, it all felt distant, like a play they had been acting in on a stage that was now collapsing beneath their feet. The message from Elara had not just been a warning; it had been a key turning in a lock they hadn't known existed, and the door it opened led not forward, but into a abyss of the past.
The return to the Starborne Spire was a silent, grim journey. The beauty of the deep currents, the quiet hum of the newly balanced world, all of it was muted by the chilling prospect of what awaited them. The Star Sovereign, the unified entity of Ren and Lyra, moved with a shared purpose that was heavier than any burden Ren had carried alone.
Elara met them at the entrance to
