Three years had passed since the Memorial Reality flickered with corruption, and Reed still found himself confined to the Sanctuary of Broken Heroes—a realm specifically designed for those whose service to consciousness had left them forever changed. The crystalline walls here didn't just contain his damaged awareness; they actively filtered it, preventing the Dark's lingering influence from spreading beyond these protected boundaries.
Reed sat in his favorite spot—a garden pavilion where reality bent gently around him, creating a pocket of stability within the constantly shifting therapeutic environment. His body had healed from the physical trauma of corruption, but the Living Scar remained, a permanent reminder of how close he had come to becoming the Dark's perfect weapon.
