*Chapter 39: The Choice Beyond Time*
The moment Theo and Nyra touched the Final Thread, time paused. Not stopped — *paused*, like the universe itself was holding its breath.
Everything around them faded. The wind stilled. The loom ceased spinning. Even the light dimmed, leaving only the soft glow of the Compass between them.
A figure emerged from the void — neither human nor spirit, cloaked in stars and stitched in silence.
"You've come farther than most," it said. "Few reach the Loom. Fewer survive the trials. But now you must decide: restore the world as it was, or let it begin anew."
Theo hesitated. "And what happens to us?"
"If you restore it, you remain," the figure said. "Scarred but whole. But the balance must be guarded. One of you will stay behind — forever tethered to the Thread."
Silence stretched long between them.
Nyra looked at Theo, tears building. "You've carried the Compass. You've led us here. Let me be the one to stay."
"No," Theo said, voice cracking. "I won't let you give up your life."
"But I'm not giving it up," she whispered. "I'm giving it meaning."
The Loom pulsed.
Together, they reached out. And in that moment — not one but two hands touched the Thread.
Balance restored.
No sacrifice.
A miracle.
As light returned, the world shifted. Time, once broken, began to flow again.
And the Compass? It went still.