It began with a flicker.
A single thread in the memory-weave of the Archives pulsed blue, then gold, then vanished.
Kael was the first to notice. He ran diagnostics, checked resonant echoes, and recalibrated the Codex's temporal layer. But the result was the same.
The signal had not vanished.
It had been received.
Forgehouse - Midmorning
Kael burst into the garden where Altharion sat dictating ancient tales to a group of young scribes.
"They responded," Kael said.
Altharion looked up. "Who?"
"The Fracture."
The scribes gasped. Selene appeared from the archway, her gaze sharp. "Impossible. The Fracture was sealed. You sealed it."
Kael nodded. "I thought so too. But this signal wasn't disruptive. It was… curious."
Altharion frowned. "A memory, seeking contact?"
"More than that," Kael said. "It asked a question."
Lantern Spire - Council Chamber
The memory council assembled—the youngest generation yet, flanked by seasoned voices like Selene, Kael, and Altharion.
Lira stood at the center, her expression unreadable.
"This signal—what exactly did it say?" she asked.
Kael activated the projection. A symbol appeared: an echo of the Seraphim's eye, overlaid with Helios' glyph of authority.
Then a phrase.
"What comes after remembering?"
Silence.
Then murmurs.
One elder stood. "It's a trap."
Another: "It's a plea."
Altharion stepped forward. "Either way, it is a call. And calls must be answered."
Lira nodded. "Then we send an emissary."
Emissary Vessel - The Mothlight
Crafted from song-metal and bound in memory-thread, the Mothlight was a ship of stories, not weapons.
Lira volunteered to lead.
Selene protested. "You're not ready for what's out there."
"I need to be," Lira replied. "If Helios still lives, I want to see what remains of him. If anything."
Altharion placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then carry us with you."
He handed her the Ember Codex—its edges now worn, but its glow intact.
Lira boarded the vessel with three companions: Renn, Kael's prodigy; Maelis, a ward-singer; and a silent automaton built from Seraphim fragments.
The Mothlight rose.
Edge of Known Thought
The cocoon drifted through unreality, pulsing slowly, patiently.
Helios no longer sought power. He sought meaning.
Visions filled his dreams—of Duskfall, of Lira, of forgiveness not yet earned.
And then, the signal returned.
Not a threat.
A story.
One written by the daughter of his greatest enemy.
He whispered, "Come, then."
The cocoon unsealed.
Aboard the Mothlight - Fracture Horizon
The skies warped. Stars twisted into spirals. Reality softened.
Maelis sang a stabilizing note. Renn clung to the memory-anchor.
Lira stepped forward.
Ahead, a man floated.
Helios.
But not as he was.
His armor was gone. His eyes no longer burned. He looked… tired.
Lira opened the Codex. "You sent a question. I brought an answer."
He tilted his head. "Then speak."
She said: "After remembering, we choose what to become."
Helios closed his eyes.
And smiled.
The Mothlight drifted forward, carrying not vengeance, but possibility.
Behind them, Duskfall shimmered on the edge of a new era.