The sky above the Multiverse began to crack.
Not in the way stars flickered or storms gathered—but as if the very laws of reality were beginning to strain, unable to contain the convergence that now loomed. The five Pillars orbited Lucius like a living halo, each one pulsing to its own rhythm. With the shard of the Throne embedded in his chest and the memory of the Dead King still weighing heavy on his shoulders, Lucius walked out of the trial not as a man, but something more.
Walter, Alexia, Lilith, and Luna waited at the edge of the gateway, their expressions sharpened with readiness.
Walter spoke first. "The Throne lies beyond the Core. And between us and it… stands her."
The air around them grew colder.
Luna crossed her arms, her usual smirk faded. "She's known we were coming. The Empress Eternal won't wait anymore."
Lucius nodded. "Let her come."
