They did not linger inside the chamber longer than necessary. The limited wound still exerted a low, constant pressure, like a storm held behind glass. Nima and Tallen recorded every visible change to the lattice and the central mass while the knowledge remained fresh. Sera and Ysara checked each member of the party for missing time, missing names, or soft spots in memory. A few small erasures had to be talked back into place—Kael’s preferred staff grip, the exact tune of the second verse of the canal song, the color of the door in Lira’s old workshop. Each restoration was treated as both practical necessity and quiet celebration.
Coren stood before the caged wound for a long time. “I spent years as a remainder because of this thing. Now I get to walk away while it stays. The symmetry is
