Suddenly, Seraphine's eyes opened.
They weren't violet anymore.
They were layered—concentric rings of white and blue, like celestial orbits.
And when she spoke, it was with a voice that did not echo—it resonated.
"I… remember."
Valerian stepped back. "Seraphine?"
She sat up slowly, skin still shimmering, her gaze unfocused.
"I saw the Architect," she whispered. "Not the one we fought. The one before that. The first. The one who planted the seeds of this world. He called me… Core-Sister."
Selene stiffened. "That's a term from the Architect's lexicon. Core-Siblings were fragments—beings born to contain parts of reality. There were supposed to be five. But only one was ever confirmed."
Valerian narrowed his eyes. "Me."
"No," Seraphine said, looking at him.
"You weren't the first Key."
She stood, light crackling around her bare feet as they touched the cold marble.
