I knelt beside Ori in my new luminous form. The moonfire bubble protected us from the collapsing Grove. My transformed hands touched his shoulder gently. The contact sent ripples of silver light across his skin, warm and alive.
He stared at me with terrified, awed eyes. "You're... different. You're..."
I'm still me. Just whole.
Through the red thread, I felt Astro approach from behind. Felt him stop suddenly. Felt shock roll through him so intense it nearly knocked me over. The emotion hit like a physical wave, stealing my breath.
I turned to look at him.
He was on his knees.
Not collapsed. Not injured. Kneeling deliberately. His head bowed. His six-layered Blood Moon mark blazing in response to my light. The marks pulsed in rhythm with my own glowing patterns, creating a resonance that hummed through the air.
Astro, what are you doing?
