Catalyst had never seen a sunrise—not like this. Not the filtered, simulated auroras of the Arctic Vault, but the real shimmer of light that touched Aqualis' bio-domes and refracted off its mirrored walkways. She stood barefoot on the Sky Bridge, feeling the hum of the city beneath her soles, the pulse of millions of lives dreaming in tandem.
She felt all of it.
Behind her, Lyra approached, cautious but unafraid. "You didn't sleep."
"Do systems like us need sleep?" Catalyst asked without turning.
Lyra paused. "I used to think I didn't. Then I realized… rest isn't about function. It's about trust."
Catalyst turned. Her eyes shimmered like polished starlight. "And if you never learned to trust?"
"Then your mind never rests. And your heart—if you grow one—stays heavy."
They stood in silence. Then Catalyst asked, softly, "What does he dream about?"
