Adrian's breath caught as the star map flared with living starlight. Constellations shimmered, shifted, and moved, not like patterns in the sky but like thoughts in a dreaming mind. Time fractured. Space bent. His spirit was no longer bound to the tomb.
He stood in the void between worlds.
Above him floated twelve constellations—symbols of the great sects of the past, each burning with distinct color and power. The Phoenix Crown of the Dawnfire Sect. The Moon Lotus of the Serene Hall. The Serpent Spiral of the Jade Coil Temple.
And at the center—a thirteenth constellation. Dim. Flickering.
Forgotten.
Its symbol: a jagged star split down the center by a sword.
As Adrian reached for it, the starlight recoiled. Not in fear—but in warning.
"To awaken what was lost, you must remember what was erased."
The voice wasn't Aurelia's.
It came from within the Bound Star itself.
