The rift's implosion was a spectacle of light and energy, a cataclysmic event that seemed to erase the sky itself. Raith and Juno hit the ground hard, shielding their faces as the shockwave rolled over them. When the light faded, silence blanketed the city.
The Harbingers were gone. The ship, the chaos, the storm—all of it had vanished. But the absence was bittersweet.
Raith pushed himself to his feet, his chest tight with grief. Nia's glowing figure, her voice filled with quiet determination, lingered in his mind. She had made the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.
"She's really gone," Raith said, his voice low.
Juno joined him, her face pale but resolute. "She saved more than just us. She saved everything."
Raith nodded, but the weight of her absence pressed down on him. He stared at the sky, now clear and blue, as if the rift had never existed.
Suddenly, a faint hum echoed from the remnants of the Nexus console. The screen flickered to life, displaying a message written in Nia's unmistakable handwriting:
"The rift is gone, but the Nexus remains. Use it wisely. Build a better world."
Raith read the words aloud, his voice breaking. "She knew what we'd need to hear."
Juno placed a hand on his shoulder. "She believed in us, Raith. Now it's up to us to make sure her sacrifice wasn't in vain."
As the survivors began to emerge from the ruins, their faces a mixture of confusion and cautious hope, Raith felt the weight of leadership settle on him. The world was fractured, but it was still standing.
He turned to Juno, determination hardening his voice. "The Nexus is still active. We can use it to fix what we've broken—to rebuild."
Juno's gaze was steady, her exhaustion replaced by purpose. "It's a dangerous tool, but we've learned enough to wield it responsibly. We have to."
The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet, a faint reminder of the power that still coursed through the Nexus. Raith knew the fight wasn't over. But for the first time in months, he felt something he hadn't dared to feel: hope.