Chapter 49: Before the gate
The Echo Gate hummed with silent anticipation. Since their encounter with Lysara, the room had grown warmer, as though life was slowly returning to it after centuries of slumber. The boys didn't cross it immediately — not out of fear, but out of reverence. The Gate wasn't just a passage. It was a decision. A commitment.
They set up camp in the chamber beside the Gate, Lysara's spirit watching from the carved pedestal where her sword rested. Her presence was comforting, if slightly eerie — a ghost of responsibility rather than sorrow.
Selene sat against one of the stone pillars, sketching runes into her notebook. Cain sat close, head tipped back, watching the glowing vines above them. Leo sat cross-legged beside a strange glowing cube, dissecting it piece by piece like a puzzle. Eren had passed out on a pile of folded cloaks, softly snoring, with crumbs of jerky on his shirt.
It was the calmest they had felt in weeks.
And yet, Cain couldn't sleep.
He stood and walked over to Lysara. "You said the real enemy is coming. Do we have time?"
Lysara's eyes glowed softly. "Enough time to prepare... not enough to waste."
Cain sighed. "We've already lost so much."
"Loss is the forge of purpose," she said. "Your sister understood that."
His heart ached. He looked toward where Selene had placed a small token — Eira's scarf — over the flame of a candle. It waved like it was still breathing.
Lysara's voice gentled. "You carry the burden of love and leadership. But you are not alone in this. Let your brothers carry you too."