Kaelen waited. The silence of the Nexus Spire, usually a comforting hum, felt stretched and thin without Elias's presence. Lumie, curled at her feet, occasionally let out a soft whine, sensing her subtle anxiety. She tried to busy herself, tending to the ethereal blossoms, but her eyes kept straying to the space where Elias had vanished. He had told her it would be a "significant" transformation, and his casual mention of weighing five billion aircraft carriers was not easily forgotten.
Then, as suddenly as he had left, Elias reappeared. A shimmer of light, a ripple in the air, and he stood there, perfectly formed, impeccably dressed, as if he had just stepped out for a leisurely stroll. Kaelen gasped, rushing forward.
"Elias! You're back!" She threw her arms around him, expecting to feel the familiar warmth. Instead, she felt… nothing. Or rather, she felt too much nothing. There was no passive gravitational pull, no sense of immense density. He felt… normal. Perfectly light.
