The world rebuilt itself in whispers.
Days had passed since the Eye of Blackvale was sealed. Or maybe it had been weeks. Time, after bending and unraveling under the Architect's weight, had begun to flow again, albeit unevenly, like a river finding its course through scorched earth.
The sun returned soft, golden, and unfamiliar. Birds sang again, unsure melodies, as if relearning a tune forgotten in a war they never understood. And in the heart of the city, where steel met sky and ruin kissed rebirth, Cambria Vale stood atop the remnants of ValeTech Tower, wind sweeping through her hair, her hand still glowing faintly with the last embers of the Heartstone's light.
She had survived the merge.
But she had not emerged unchanged.
