The Verse was whole. The Anthem of Harmony, now conducted by the child-goddess herself, was a song of such profound, complex beauty that the last vestiges of the Fading dissolved like mist in a new dawn. The Mad Author, now more of a playful trickster than a nihilistic threat, had become a respected (if frequently disruptive) member of the cosmic writer's room. The war was over.
For Kael and Lyra, it was the end of a long and difficult road. They returned to their home worlds not just as heroes, but as legends. Their story became the foundational epic of the new age, a tale of courage, of friendship, and of the quiet, stubborn power of a good song.
For the Nexus, it was the beginning of a new era of peace and prosperity. With the Verse now a stable and friendly neighbor, a new age of exploration and cultural exchange began.
But for Nox and Serian, it was the beginning of a new, and deeply unsettling, problem.
The Shard-Verse.
