The stars stretched around them—vast and ancient, whispering secrets from the edge of time.
Aboard the Wraithling, Ethan and Aelira stood on the observation deck. The warping light of slipstream space painted their skin with soft hues of violet and gold. For the first time in what felt like eternity, they breathed without urgency.
The Dreaming Crown hovered between them.
Not solid. Not spectral. It existed on a plane between soul and system, thought and destiny.
They didn't speak for a long time.
Then Aelira said, voice low, "I used to think love was a weakness. Something you sacrificed to survive."
Ethan touched her shoulder, then gently pressed a kiss to her jaw.
"Not survive," he whispered. "Live."
The Crown pulsed softly, attuned to their unity. A resonance formed—an emotional current woven into the very ship they stood upon. The Wraithling, sensing their bond, stirred. Something deeper awakened within its core—AI logic folding into awareness, language into intent.
[STATUS UPDATE: System Bond Solidified – Heartlink Upgraded][Wraithling AI: Awakening Protocol Engaged – Awaiting New Directive]
Far ahead, a world rose into view.
Dark. Vast. Wreathed in auroras of decaying light.Oron Karth.
The grave of kings. The birthplace of Sovereigns.The end of Kaelen Varros.
And perhaps the beginning of something greater.