Lyra raised her hand.
Light enveloped the void, revealing the truth behind regression—
a truth neither Kael nor Erevan fully understood.
Memories poured through her like rivers of time.
"I was the first consciousness of this world," Lyra whispered.
"I stabilized reality. And when the world first faced extinction…"
She looked at Kael.
"…I rewound time."
Kael felt his breath catch.
"You… caused the first regression?"
Lyra nodded sadly.
"Yes. But not by choice. My instinct was to protect humanity. But every rewind weakened me…"
She turned to Erevan.
"And others learned to hijack my power. To force regression. To change fate to suit themselves."
Erevan's eyes widened.
"So regression… wasn't a gift?"
"No," Lyra said softly. "It was my cry for help. My fear of losing the world."
Kael felt everything click into place.
The endless loops.
The instability.
The corruption.
The collapse.
All because regressors—including himself—kept tearing the timeline apart.
Erevan clenched his fists.
"So… all my efforts… all my lives… were built on a lie."
Lyra nodded.
"You wanted perfection. But there is no perfect world."
Erevan roared, his aura exploding.
"If that's true, then I will force perfection myself!"
He lunged toward her.
Kael stepped forward—
—but Lyra stopped him with a touch.
"Let me."
Her aura flared, swallowing Erevan's attack effortlessly.
He froze mid-strike, eyes wide in disbelief.
Lyra looked at him with gentle sadness.
"I'm sorry, Erevan. You suffered alone for so long. But your path ends here."
Her power swept through him like white fire.
Erevan's body cracked like glass.
He whispered, "…I only wanted… a world without failure…"
"I know," Lyra said softly. "And I'm sorry."
He shattered into light.
The oldest regressor was gone.