The step forward felt endless. For a moment, there was no ground, no air, just the immense weight of an incomprehensible choice.
Camelia braced herself, anticipating resistance, expecting something, but the void instead accepted her.
An unseen force rippled outward, threading through air, earth, and stars. The cycle shifted, not violently, but with an unsettling acknowledgment of her decision.
Then, the world returned. The emptiness beneath her feet hardened, taking shape with startling speed.
Before her eyes, the land formed—neither the warped ruins of the past nor the untouched wilderness, but something profoundly new.
Atherion moved beside her, stepping into the void without hesitation. His presence grounded her, though even he stiffened at the unfamiliar terrain spreading beneath them.
