"But… wasn't the prophecy clear? The Sovereign Shards were meant to be claimed by the one destined to become the Avatar. That's how one was supposed to master all four elements."
Serika nodded slowly, then turned her gaze on Quinlan.
"The Avatar," she said with a small, wry smile, "is already here. He didn't need the Sovereign Shards to unlock all four elements."
She reached toward him slightly, her voice calm but filled with conviction. "You have awakened the elements already. With no shard to guide you. No divine blessing. Just your will, your soul… your birthright. We—the Sovereigns and other prominent cultivators—we were the ones who made some assumptions regarding the prophecy. We thought it was impossible to control more than one element without the shards. So we built our entire understanding around the idea that the Sovereign Shards held the key."
Feng frowned. "Then why does he need them?"
