The door clicked shut behind them. Neither Morgan nor Boulder spoke as they walked down the quiet corridor. Only the steady sound of their footsteps accompanied them. Morgan wasn't in a hurry because he knew the Grandmaster was deep in thought. Ever since examining Shawn, Boulder had remained unusually quiet. Normally, the old man would have pointed out every flaw without hesitation, but this time he chose silence.
Morgan finally broke it.
"You've been awfully quiet."
Boulder didn't answer right away. His thoughts were still on the blind boy sitting inside that room. After a long moment, he finally asked, "Why him?"
Morgan knew exactly what he meant. Boulder wasn't asking why Shawn was the final subject. He was asking why Morgan had spent years pursuing a project whose chances of success were almost zero.
Morgan looked ahead.
"Because he is the last Starborn."
Boulder slowly nodded.
"So the boy..."
"...is Sigil's son," Morgan said.
Everything became clear to the Grandmaster. The hatred, the hostility, and the refusal to cooperate all made sense now. The boy had watched Morgan destroy everything he had ever known. No wonder he looked at him with such resentment.
Boulder let out a quiet sigh.
"Then I suppose he has every reason to hate you."
Morgan's expression remained calm.
"He does. I never expected otherwise."
Silence returned to the hallway.
After a few more steps, Boulder spoke again.
"So, what makes him different from every other subject?"
This time, Morgan stopped walking.
"The inheritance."
Boulder's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I told you where this project came from," Morgan continued. "It belonged to another Forger, one whose identity remains unknown. The notes you helped me interpret all originated from that inheritance. During the battle, the inheritance activated. It wasn't simply protecting me; it was preparing a vessel. It absorbed the essence of nearly everyone trapped inside the golden dome."
Starborns, Primarchs, and his own soldiers. Thousands of lives.
"They were all meant to become materials," Morgan said, his voice growing quieter. "The inheritance intended to forge a perfect body for me. But before the process could be completed, it disappeared."
Boulder looked at him.
"And you believe Shawn inherited it."
Morgan nodded once.
"I don't believe it. I know it. The inheritance vanished, and the boy survived. There was no other possibility."
The corridor fell silent once again.
Morgan finally asked the question that had troubled him ever since that day.
"If he inherited all of that... why didn't he awaken?"
Boulder remained silent. His thoughts returned to the moment his fingers had rested upon Shawn's wrist. He thought about the pulse, the blindness, and the strange stillness hidden beneath it all. Everything pointed toward a conclusion, yet none of it answered Morgan's question.
Finally, he shook his head.
"I do not know."
Morgan frowned slightly.
"Not even you?"
"I know forging, and I know the human body," Boulder said, slowly exhaling. "But awakening is a path intertwined with the universe itself. There are things even a Grandmaster cannot explain."
He paused before continuing.
"There is, however, one thing I can say with certainty."
Morgan waited.
"The boy's body is unlike any vessel we've experimented on," Boulder said calmly. "I cannot explain the reason, but during my examination, I found no signs of rejection."
"None?"
"None."
Boulder looked ahead.
"That alone is enough to surprise me."
Morgan fell into thought. Ever since beginning the project, every subject had rejected the process at some point. Some exploded before it truly began, while others suffered irreversible mutations. Even the successful subject from earlier had lost his connection to the world. Yet Boulder had found no trace of that instability within Shawn.
After a long silence, Morgan asked,
"Can he survive it?"
Boulder answered without hesitation.
"Out of every subject you've tested, he possesses the highest chance."
Morgan slowly released the breath he had unknowingly been holding.
"So there is hope."
"There is," Boulder said, stopping. "But do not mistake possibility for certainty. If this project succeeds, the results may exceed your expectations. And if it fails..."
He turned his gaze directly onto Morgan.
"...there will not be another opportunity."
Morgan understood exactly what he meant. There was only one Shawn, and failure would mean the end of everything he had worked toward.
Boulder studied Morgan for a moment before asking quietly,
"Have you told him?"
"No," Morgan answered immediately.
"Does he know what you intend to do?"
Again, Morgan said,
"No."
Boulder lowered his eyes.
"He trusts you, then?"
Morgan gave a faint shake of his head.
"No. He hates me. But he also knows he has little choice."
Neither spoke for several moments.
Eventually, Boulder broke the silence.
"I won't ask whether what you're doing is right. My concern is whether it is possible. And now, I believe it is."
Those words were enough. Morgan's expression became resolute, and he raised his hand. A communication talisman appeared between his fingers.
"Prepare the chained chamber," Morgan commanded into the device. "Bring every artifact requested over the past week. The highest-grade energy crystals and every medicinal solution. No one is to enter the chamber without my permission. Seal the surroundings until further notice."
Replies quickly came back through the talisman.
"As you command, Lord Morgan."
He dismissed the talisman.
"The preparations will be completed within the hour."
Boulder nodded approvingly.
"So you've already made your decision."
"I made it the moment you confirmed he could survive."
The two resumed walking until they reached a junction where their paths separated.
Morgan suddenly slowed down.
"Grandmaster."
Boulder turned around.
Morgan remained silent for a brief moment before speaking.
"Once this project is complete, I would like to ask a favor of you. One that only you can do."
The old man neither agreed nor refused.
"We shall speak of it after the project. If we succeed, I will hear you out."
Morgan inclined his head.
"Thank you."
The two separated. Boulder headed toward the chained chamber to oversee the final preparations, while Morgan turned down the corridor that led to Shawn's room.
A gentle knock sounded against the wooden door.
Inside the room, Shawn slowly opened his eyes, ending his meditation. The familiar footsteps outside were enough to tell him exactly who had come.
Morgan.
Shawn rose to his feet just as the door opened.
Morgan stepped inside, but unlike every previous visit, he neither smiled nor spoke unnecessarily. His expression was completely unreadable. For reasons Shawn couldn't explain, the room suddenly felt much heavier.
Morgan looked directly at him.
"Come with me."
Nothing more. No explanation, no threat, just those three simple words.
Shawn remained where he was for several seconds. Something was different. He couldn't tell what had changed, but for the first time since meeting Morgan, the man's voice carried a weight Shawn had never heard before.
Without another word, Shawn stepped forward, and the two silently left the room together.