"Why can I see you now?" Liam asked sharply.
"Because she told you," Umbra said with a smirk. "Which means you're now part of the equation. So I had to update your perceptual permissions. You're welcome, by the way. Not everyone gets to admire this glorious visage."
Liam stepped closer, his gaze hardening. "And what exactly are you? What is your role in this so-called Eternal Path?"
Umbra gave a long-suffering sigh. "Think of me as a guide. A mentor. A translator for the gibberish that is about to start rewriting your girlfriend's metaphysical blueprint. I help her survive the process… assuming she listens to me. Which, so far, she has not."
Shen Yue winced slightly, but Liam gently took her hand. "Are you okay?"
"I think so," she whispered, her voice steadier than before. "It's… overwhelming, but not painful. Just… strange. I don't feel weaker. If anything, I feel more. Like something inside me finally woke up."
