My declaration echoed across the relay field as the gathered Transcendents and the two Eternals stood in silence. None of them reacted immediately. They were listening. Observing. Weighing the consequences of choosing a side.
I already knew the Eternals would not defect. Their existence was bound to Hollow Star in ways that went beyond survival or fear. They did not hesitate because they believed in victory.
But the same was not true for the others.
The Transcendents behind them were different. They still belonged to this galaxy. They still possessed identity, origin, and something to lose. They had chosen Hollow Star once. That choice could be broken.
That was who my words were meant for.
The armed Eternal stepped forward.
His movement was steady, unhurried, his weapon held at his side without tension. He did not prepare himself as an opponent would. He approached as though he were addressing an equal.
