The crystal touched her hand.
Reality broke.
Not shattered or destroyed.
It just... opened.
Like a locked door finally turning beneath the right key.
The instant contact happened, every layer of existence surrounding Sarya unfolded outward.
The infinite doors she had glimpsed before expanded into view.
Thousands.
Millions.
Perhaps infinitely more.
Stretching beyond perception.
And behind every single door stood the same figure.
Watching.
Waiting.
Observing.
Sarya gasped.
The figures were identical.
Neither male nor female.
Neither young nor old.
They wore simple gray robes.
No crowns.
No weapons.
No symbols of authority.
Nothing remarkable.
And yet looking at them filled her with an instinctive sense of danger.
Not because they seemed hostile.
Because they seemed inevitable.
The crystal's light spread across her skin.
The hybrid scar answered immediately.
Silver lines raced through her bridge connection.
Ancient symbols emerged and disappeared.
