The sphere dimmed, and a thin filament of light—no larger than a strand of hair—was drawn from its core, winding itself into the handheld data crystal Jiro held. The filament glowed with a soft, warm light, pulsing in rhythm with their own heartbeats.
The sand beneath the Great Spire quivered. The colossal structure’s surface split, revealing a massive doorway of light. An iridescent column of energy rose, spiraling upward like a beacon of pure information.