The echo of Queen Lysandra's memory still reverberated, not just in Jay's mind, but in the terrain beneath his feet. The fractured academy responded to emotion now— every step leaving behind faint glimmers of code, as if reality itself were remembering him too.
He walked slowly from the plaza, sealed message still glowing faintly in his left hand. In his right, his System interface shimmered with residual static. The words of the queen refused to fade.
> "You will lose friends. You may even lose yourself. But if you can endure... my daughter will live."
Jay exhaled, long and tired. "Cryptic last wishes and world-ending simulations. It's a bit much for someone who skipped morning classes on purpose."
But the weight in his chest wouldn't budge.
---
Elsewhere: Alicia's Pursuit
Alicia had been running— not with fear, but with something far more dangerous: purpose.
