She was no longer in battle gear—her armor shed, replaced with a midnight-blue robe that fluttered like moonlight. Her long silver hair, usually bound, was loose, strands dancing in the wind. And yet, her presence was still powerful. Regal.
"Everyone's been asking about you," she said softly.
Valerian didn't turn around. "I figured."
"You disappeared for hours after you shattered the Architect's anchor."
He stared at his gauntlet-covered hand, now lined with faint glowing runes. "I wasn't sure I could face anyone yet."
Selene stepped beside him, her eyes tracing the broken land. "Why?"
"I rewrote reality," he said. "I didn't just destroy the System—I became part of it. What am I now, Selene?"
She looked at him, really looked.
His silver eyes, once sharp with sarcasm and confidence, now held something deeper—weariness. Guilt.
"I don't know what you are," she replied honestly. "But I know who you are."
He glanced at her, surprised.
