The bridge hung in silence, a narrow strip of stone floating in the void. Beneath their feet, rivers of light pulsed slowly, like veins carrying blood to some unseen heart.
Kieran stood breathing hard, his clothes torn, his face smudged with what might have been soot or dried code. He looked like a man who'd just finished a long, brutal fight.
Adams stood opposite him, looking exactly as he always did. Clean. Calm. Untouched.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. The only sound was Kieran's ragged breathing slowly calming.
"You made it," Adams said finally. His voice was flat. Not happy, not angry. Just stating a fact.
Kieran wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You knew I would."
"Yeah. I did." Adams's eyes drifted toward the glowing Core between them. "You passed."
"Passed what?" Kieran asked, his voice tired.
