The interstellar city remained glowing overhead long after the vision should have faded.
Warm lights beneath impossible stars.
Open doors across countless species and civilizations.
People carrying one another through ordinary heartbreaks in ways so natural they barely noticed the significance anymore.
And somehow—
That future felt more miraculous than any cosmic throne ever could.
The emotional resonance across the rewritten foundation settled into something deeper now.
Not revelation.
Conviction.
Existence itself no longer questioned whether connection mattered.
Now—
It was learning how to protect the conditions where connection could survive.
Lyra sat beneath drifting silver memory-light staring upward quietly.
Less sarcasm now.
More thoughtfulness.
"…You know what's weird?"
Aria glanced sideways.
"…What?"
Lyra gestured toward the glowing future city.
"…Nobody there looks invincible."
The interstellar future shimmered softly overhead.
People laughing.
