The truth did not reach Kumar like a scream.
It reached him like silence breaking its own rule. He was sitting alone on one of Fayran Cube's forgotten moons a place left unfinished on purpose, where no structure demanded meaning.
Blood covered his body. Not all of it was his.
The battle had ended, but his hands still trembled, as if motion had not yet accepted stillness. Then it happened. Something that had always been there anchoring reality, balancing consequence simply stopped existing. Kumar's breath caught. His chest tightened painfully.
"No…" he whispered.
The sky did not respond. For the first time since creation itself, Kumar felt something he had never designed for. Loss without structure. He stood unsteadily, almost falling back to his knees.
"Angle…" his voice broke,"No… not like this."
Behind him, a presence formed. Niko arrived without opening a portal his control shattered, his face streaked with tears he hadn't bothered to stop.
He froze when he saw Kumar. The one who had always stood unbroken now looked… empty. Kumar turned slowly. The moment his eyes met Niko's, he knew. Not because Niko spoke. But because Niko couldn't.
"She's gone," Kumar said quietly.
It wasn't a question. Niko's lips trembled.
"She didn't fight, Master," he said softly,
"She chose not to."
The words struck harder than any weapon.
Kumar staggered back and sat heavily on the stone.
"Why…" he whispered,"Why would she do that?"
Niko swallowed.
"She said she didn't want to kill him. And she told me…"
He hesitated,"She told me to stop you."
Silence followed. Not the calm silence of Fayran Cube but the kind that presses down, heavy and unforgiving. Kumar covered his face with his hands. For the first time, his shoulders shook.
"I promised her balance," he said hoarsely,"I promised… mercy." His voice cracked,"And I failed her."
Niko knelt beside him. "Master," he said carefully, choosing each word like glass,
"she didn't want you to destroy yourself trying to avenge her."
Kumar looked up sharply.
"You think this is revenge?" he snapped,"This is consequence."
Then his strength vanished. His body collapsed forward, barely caught by Niko.
"I can't stand," Kumar whispered,"Take me… to her."
Niko nodded, Without hesitation, he opened a portal blue and purple light tearing the ground apart, unstable, emotional. They stepped through.