They gathered by the uplink tower.
No one told them to.
No system prompt summoned them. No emergency beacon blared.
They simply came.
Children sat cross-legged near the front. Elders leaned on walking sticks or younger shoulders. Every face turned to Toren as he stepped forward, flanked by Mira and Jakel.
He didn't wear a robe.
He didn't bring a speech.
Just words.
"I can't promise safety," he said.
No movement. No murmurs.
"I can't promise we won't be hunted. That others won't come. That more powerful people won't try to break what we've made here."
He paused.
"But I can promise I'll stand in front of it. Every time."
A breeze curled around the Core.
"I wasn't born for this. I wasn't trained. I didn't earn the right to lead with age or wisdom. I only know this—when the system gave me the power to run, I stayed. When it gave me the option to rule, I shared."
He looked across the faces.
Not a crowd.
A people.
"I vow to build a place that belongs to us. Not to the Force. Not to the past. Not to what made me."
His voice dropped—quieter, but sharper.
"To what we choose. Together."
Mira stepped beside him.
Jakel placed his hand on the center pylon.
And one by one, others followed.
Not to swear loyalty.
But to be part.
The kingdom of Aurex had never been more real.
Not because of structures.
Because of the vow.