Tayo put his hand on the special handprint on the big stone door. At first, the stone felt cold. Then, a warm feeling spread from his hand, up his arm. It wasn't a hot feeling, but a deep, steady warmth. It felt like a hidden bell was ringing inside him. The bright lines on the big door glowed even brighter, like his own heart beating. The air in the room got thick, and he could hear a soft humming sound. It vibrated deep inside his body.
He closed his eyes and thought hard. The wild energy inside him, which was usually messy, started to come together. The big stone door was pulling it, guiding it, making it neat. He felt the symbols on the stone light up under his hand, like old writings waking up. Pictures flashed in his mind: swirling stars, huge buildings made of ancient dirt, and a feeling of giant, wild power flowing through big tubes. These weren't just pictures; they were feelings, old memories, like the Primeator himself had touched this system long ago.
Lyra made a soft sound next to him. Tayo opened his eyes, but everything was bright from the light coming from the big door. The whole round room was filled with a soft, bright glow. The pulsing lines on the walls connected to the door, making a shining web that pulsed with the energy. Kaelen stood back, his face full of wonder and a happy, proud look.
The handprint in the middle of the big door slowly sank into the stone. As it did, the giant stone door itself started to move. It didn't scrape or grind; it moved smoothly and quietly, like water parting. A faint, old smell, like clean air after a storm mixed with wet dirt, filled the room. The light got even brighter, showing a dark, narrow path leading into the middle of the big door.
Tayo pulled his hand back. He could still feel the faint print of the symbols on his palm. The Gateway had opened. Not all the way, but enough to show a dark, thin path inside. The glowing lines on the door and walls got a little dimmer, settling into a soft, steady light, as if they were waiting.
Kaelen stepped forward, his eyes shining. "It worked," he whispered. It sounded like he had waited his whole life for this. "The Gateway of Stone... it opens for the living key." He looked into the darkness beyond the opening. "This is it. The core. The real heart of the system. What's inside... even I don't fully know. Only that it connects to the wild energy in a way the city could never understand."
Lyra moved closer to Tayo, putting her hand on his arm. Her face showed both wonder and worry. "Are you ready?" she whispered, her voice very soft because of the humming sound from the Gateway.
Tayo looked at the opening, a dark promise pulling him forward. The pictures and feelings he had when he touched the door were still strong inside him, a silent call to a future he was just starting to see. The fear was still there, a cold lump in his stomach, but his strong will burned brighter now. It was fueled by the amazing fact that the Gateway had really opened.
He nodded, not just to Lyra, but to the old powers that had led him here. "Ready," he said, stepping towards the new path. The glowing symbols of the Gateway lit his way into the unknown.