The Epoch Shard had always been silent.
Until now.
In Lyra's grip, it shivered like a grieving child. She felt the timelines it had watched collapse. All the love stories that never finished. All the heroes who died before names.
She held it close.
"It's okay," she whispered. "We're going to finish the story."
The shard pulsed.
And opened.
Inside—was a heartbeat.
Damien's.