The moment Cain's hand met the Sentinel's, a surge of golden energy rushed into him, burning through his veins like liquid fire. His breath hitched as the Titan Core reacted instantly, flaring in response, amplifying the power flowing into his body. It wasn't just heat—it was knowledge, strength, memory.
His vision fractured.
For an instant, he wasn't Cain.
He stood in a world that no longer existed, surrounded by Titans in their prime, their colossal forms wreathed in power. They were not mindless beasts. They were kings, warriors, architects of a world lost to time. He felt their presence, their will pressing against his mind, their voices layered upon each other in a chorus of purpose.
A name whispered through his thoughts.
Not his.
The name of the Titan whose remnants now burned within him.
A name that had been erased from history.
The Sentinel's grip tightened, pulling him back into reality. Cain gasped, his body shaking violently, his mind reeling from the sheer weight of what had just been forced into him. The chamber pulsed with golden light, the energy spiraling around them, wrapping itself into the stone as if the sanctum itself was coming to life.
The Sentinel released his hand, stepping back.
Cain staggered but didn't fall.
The Titan Core inside him no longer felt foreign. It no longer fought him, no longer burned wildly out of control. It recognized him.
He had awakened.
The Sentinel studied him for a long moment, its burning eyes narrowing slightly. Measuring him.
"You have taken the first step."
Cain's breathing steadied. His body still ached, but the exhaustion that had plagued him before was gone. Replaced by something stronger.
Something whole.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the Titan energy now flowing smoothly through him, responding to his intent rather than consuming him. He had never felt so aware, so alive.
The Sentinel turned, its massive form moving toward the great doors at the back of the sanctum. The stone trembled as it lifted its colossal hand, pressing against the engravings. A deep rumbling echoed through the chamber as the doors began to open, revealing a path that led out of the abyss.
Cain narrowed his eyes.
"You knew this would happen," he said. His voice wasn't accusing—just certain.
The Sentinel didn't turn.
"You were always meant to awaken. The path has merely been... reclaimed."
Cain clenched his fists. The path forward had always been there. Buried. Hidden. Erased.
And now, it had been opened once more.
The golden energy inside him pulsed, responding to his emotions. The Titans had been betrayed. The world had forgotten them.
But Cain hadn't.
He exhaled, stepping forward, his gaze fixed on the open doors. He had survived the Abyss. He had uncovered the truth buried beneath the lies of history. He had awakened the power inside him.
Now, there was only one thing left to do.
He was going back to the surface.
And he was going to remind the world of the Titans they tried to erase.