Kael wandered into the ruins of a forgotten station, the silence broken only by the crunch of his boots. The System whispered fragments he could not string together:

  > [Name Detected: Z–… Zer… Error.]

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  Every time he tried to focus, the word disintegrated, as though the universe itself refused him knowledge. But the broken syllables lingered, heavy with dread.

  He knew instinctively — this name belonged to a being far older than the gods themselves. A name erased, yet echoing still.

  Then, a ripple in the dark. His reflection in shattered glass shifted, smiled back, and whispered the half-name with clarity.

  Kael staggered. He hadn't spoken.

  ---