Lilith found me at dawn, poring over the Codex in the courtyard. She watched for a long moment before speaking.
"You visited the Altar of Echoes," she observed. "The echoes test your resolve. What did you learn?"
I recounted the visions, my voice firm. She nodded slowly.
"Knowledge is power," Lilith said. "But only if tempered by purpose." She deviates the robe and packed it around my shoulders and shone the inner feed. "This belonged to the first Architect. Now it belongs to you."
I stared at the rune‑etched fabric. "Me?"
She smiled, sad and proud. "You wear it well. But power alone won't end the war. You must teach others—unite professors and students alike."
Before I could answer, shook a shocked courtyard. The country exploded a crack like a damaged wound, cracked nearby. From its depth, a serpentine, VRIT, eyes increased with eyes.
"Show them your resolve," Lilith whispered.
