The news spread like wildfire.
At first, it was a whisper in the wind. A spark carried by travelers, a soft murmur in the courts. But as the truth began to solidify, it became thunder rolling across the land.
Ethan Kael'Dri Smith had awakened.
The man who had vanished into myth and memory.
The Emperor of the Nexus.
The Sentinel of the Last War.
The Sovereign of Sovereigns.
In the heart of Anbord, the Sphere of Accord pulsed with ancient energy as the great crystal embedded within it blazed to life for the first time in a decade. Across every province, temple bells began to toll without being touched. Birds changed course midflight. Trees bowed ever so slightly toward the east.
The Citadel of Antrim—once solemn and quiet—was now alive with movement. Clerics wept openly. Scholars scrambled to unroll preserved parchments. Generals dropped to one knee in silent acknowledgment.
