Master Shen stepped forward, his presence still as casual as ever, gourd lazily swinging at his side. He gave a slight nod to the serene figure seated before the X-shaped gateway.
"Vivana," he drawled.
The woman, clad in robes that shimmered like falling dusk, lifted her head slowly. Her voice was a calm ripple across the strings of Destiny and Kismet that coiled around them.
"You couldn't stay away for long, could you?" Master Vivana, the Originus Venerant guardian of this place, murmured.
Shen chuckled and took a slow swig from his gourd. "You know me."
Then he turned toward Noah, who stood a few steps behind him, Sigrid still tethered to his wrist. The rope shimmered gently between them, catching the flicker of Fate that flowed through this domain.
"Young Paradox," Master Shen said, his tone now steadier, less playful. "How about doing the honors? Since none of us can seem to guess why that key just so happens to match the gateway we've guarded for eons."
...!
