The Watchers did not wait for Aiko's response. With a single glance from their leader, the air shimmered, and the space around them twisted. Before she could react, a force gripped her—gentle but unyielding—pulling her into the unknown.
When the world settled, she stood in a vast temple, unlike anything she had ever seen. The ceiling stretched into an abyss of starlit darkness, constellations shifting with each breath. Monolithic pillars encircled a grand chamber, their surfaces carved with markings older than any language she recognized.
"Welcome to the Nexus," the silver-haired woman said, stepping forward. "This is where the balance of the world is observed—and corrected."
Aiko clenched her fists, her foxfire flickering at her fingertips. "Corrected? By whom?"
"By those who understand what must be done." The woman turned, meeting Aiko's gaze with unwavering certainty. "The Ninth Tail was sealed not to be forgotten, but because it is the key."
Aiko stiffened. "The key to what?"
"To the cycle of destruction and rebirth."
The room darkened momentarily as the constellations above swirled, forming an image—a burning world, torn apart by shadows and flame. At the center, a figure with nine radiant tails stood, power cascading from them like an endless storm.
"Each time the Ninth Tail awakens," the woman continued, "the world teeters on the edge of annihilation. Some wielders before you have fallen to its call, lost to their power. Others have fought against it, only to shatter under its weight."
Aiko's pulse thundered in her ears. "And you think I'll be the same?"
"That is what we must determine."
A sound broke through the heavy air—a footstep. Aiko turned sharply, her breath catching as she saw Ryou and Mei standing at the entrance of the chamber.
Ryou's dark eyes burned with quiet fury. "You took her."
"She came because she must," the woman replied calmly.
Aiko's chest tightened. She had always fought to control the power within her, to understand it. But now, the Watchers weren't just saying she had power—they were saying she was the key to something far greater than she had ever imagined.
Ryou stepped forward, his presence grounding even in this ethereal place. "Whatever balance you speak of, she isn't a pawn in your game."
The woman tilted her head, studying him. "No. She is not a pawn. She is the reckoning."
Aiko's breath stilled. She had thought her power was something to control, to keep from spiraling out of hand. But now, she realized—
She wasn't meant to contain it.
She was meant to choose what to do with it.