This changed everything. The Sanctuary's mission was no longer just to model unity. They now had a tangible, universe-shattering objective: find the Chaos Crystal before the agents of the Grand Design did.
Kiera's network went into overdrive, searching for any myth, legend, or cosmic rumor about an "Unmaker's Heart," a "Godseed," or a "Primordial Anomaly" that matched the description. The data was frustratingly sparse, shrouded in allegory.
The answer came from an unexpected source: Orion, the rescued Luminari scholar. He requested an audience, his luminous form flickering with anxiety.
"I have… cross-referenced your description with prohibited texts from the Order's deepest archives," he hummed. "The Chaos Crystal is not merely a source of power. It is a conceptual anchor. It represents the state of existence before differentiation. Before 'something' and 'nothing.' Before 'yes' and 'no.' The two multiverses didn't just want its power. They wanted its authority. To wield it is to have the right to define what reality is."
He projected a complex equation of metaphysical energy. "Its location is not a physical coordinate. It is locked away by the Paradox of its Own Nature. To contain infinite potential, it must exist in a state of absolute superposition—simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. It can only be 'found' by something that shares its nature."
"A Synthesis," Echo whispered.
"Precisely," Orion said. "A being that embodies the unified state the Crystal represents. Your bloodline, your bonds, your anomaly core… you are becoming a localized version of what the Crystal is on a cosmic scale. As you heal the schism within yourself and your surroundings, you will resonate with it. It will… call to you. Or you to it."
This was both a hope and a nightmare. It meant Echo's path of Synthesis was the only way to find the Crystal. But it also meant that as he grew stronger, his resonance would become a beacon.
The Grand Design wouldn't just be trying to stop him. It would be using him to locate the prize it was created to fight over.
They were no longer hiding from the war. They were being set up as the key to its final, decisive battle.