The final alignment ended at dawn.
Lady Sable rose from the platform first, crimson robes settling around her as if the night's work had been only another form of training. Yara and Nyra followed, movements steady despite the hours of continuous circulation. I remained on the black glass a moment longer, feeling the Cursed Nebula Physique settle into the exact frequency the sealed gate required. The ordinary scar on my arm stayed quiet. No residual interference remained to spoil the match.
Elizabeth and the others were already waiting in the foundation halls when we arrived. Vale carried her preferred blade. Seraphina had prepared every temporal stabilisation method she still possessed. Feng Lan's eyes were bright with the formation knowledge she had gathered over the previous days. Lydia's arm was bound for movement rather than rest. The original circle stood ready.
