The stars shifted again.
It was subtle at first—a flicker in the constellations, a change in the color of distant suns. But to the Cartograph of Tyn-Gol, now integrated into the Jade Vulture's core, the message was clear:
A path had opened.
A path to the Root of Hollow Suns.
According to Sovereign records, it wasn't a place.
It was a scar.
A region of dead stars woven together by ancient Sovereign rites. No empire mapped it, no ship returned from it, and no beacon could penetrate the event horizon that wrapped around its edge.
Kairos stood before the holographic projection, arms crossed, watching the route manifest like veins through a dying beast.
"That's where the third key is," Raya whispered.
"And likely more than just the key," Vael added. "That place hums with burial magic. I've felt this kind of presence before… during the Fall."
Kairos looked over his crew.
"The Ashen Sovereign won't be far behind. We go now. Prep the ship."
Into the Black Core
