Silence.
That was all that followed the explosion—no sound, no motion, no breath. For a long moment, the universe itself seemed to hold still, as if uncertain whether to continue existing. Then, faintly, light began to return.
Elyra blinked awake. She was floating amid weightlessness, surrounded by drifting shards of golden crystal. The air shimmered faintly with residual heat, and through the haze, she saw the Seraphine's Echo torn nearly in half but still glowing softly.
Her first thought was not of the ship, but of Kael.
"Kael!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the emptiness. "Answer me!"
Nothing. Only the low hum of decaying energy responded. The Marauder drifted nearby, its once-towering form flickering between solidity and mist.
Elyra reached toward it, desperate. "Where is he? You felt the blast—you must have seen—"
The Marauder's voice was low, weaker than she'd ever heard it. "He… dissolved into the star's pulse. I felt his essence break apart and merge with the light."
Elyra's throat tightened. "No. He can't just—"
Before she could finish, the broken shards around them began to glow brighter. The light rippled outward, forming a spiral. And then she heard it—a whisper, faint but unmistakable.
"Elyra."
She turned sharply, heart racing. The voice wasn't from the comms, or the Marauder. It came from everywhere—from the fragments of the star itself.
"Kael?" she breathed.
The light pulsed in response, coalescing into a shape—a figure of radiant energy, familiar in form but translucent like starlight. Kael stood before her, glowing from within, his eyes calm yet filled with infinite depth.
Elyra covered her mouth. "You're… alive?"
Kael smiled faintly. "Alive in a way that's hard to explain. The remnant tried to consume me, but I reached deeper—into the balance the Keepers spoke of. I became part of the Fractured Star, and now, part of everything it touches."
The Marauder lowered its head, awe resonating through its voice. "You merged with creation itself."
Kael's light flickered, his tone soft. "Maybe. Or maybe I just finally understood it. The universe doesn't destroy—it transforms."
Elyra floated closer, tears glimmering in her eyes. "Can you come back?"
Kael reached out, his hand almost touching hers before dispersing into streams of light. "Not yet. There's still something I must do. The mastermind's remnant is gone, but echoes of its thought remain—scattered through the void. If left unchecked, they'll awaken again."
Elyra clenched her fists. "Then we'll find them. Together."
Kael's expression warmed. "You always were the heart of this journey. Take the Marauder. Follow the path of the living stars. When the time comes… I'll find my way back."
The light began to fade.
"Kael—" Elyra reached for him, but the last of his glow dissolved into the cosmic storm. The star's pulse slowed, stabilizing into calm radiance once more.
The Marauder turned toward Elyra. "He's not gone. He's watching."
She looked up at the glowing fragments drifting like fireflies. "Then we'll make sure he has something worth watching."