"This path leads to the memorial ground of the day Pandora was freed," she said.
Leon felt the squad behind him grow still.
Even Adrian and Eden seemed caught by the weight in her tone.
The Dowager stepped aside, allowing them a full view of the towering descent carved into the earth itself.
She let the silence hang for a heartbeat.
Then, with a voice edged in solemn finality, she said:
"These are the Steps of Liberation."
****
Leon repeated her words under his breath, almost testing how they felt on his tongue.
"Steps of liberation."
The Dowager glanced over her shoulder at him. In the dim glow rising from the marble beneath their feet, her expression softened.
"I hope that one day these steps are used for what they were meant for," she said quietly.
"Not for mourning. Not for running. But for walking toward a future worth protecting."
