Chapter 36: The Arbiter’s Dawn**

**The Heart of Entropy**

Vorath's core was a maelstrom of dying stars. Xiaoyu's thorns pinned the Serpent's essence, her body a prison of flesh and light.

**Vorath's Bargain**:

*"Merge with me. We'll devour the Cycle and birth a new eternity."*

*"Refuse, and watch your garden burn."*

**Lin Shen's Choice**:

He plunged the Blade into Xiaoyu's chest—not to kill, but to sever her bond to Vorath. Light erupted, forging the **Dawn Spire**—a weapon of creation.

**The Price**:

- **Bai Ye**: Collapsed as her photon arm disintegrated, memories of Lin Shen fading.

- **Ghosthand**: His AI dissolved into static, final words echoing: *"Tell them… I grew something… beautiful…"*

- **Mira**: Dispersed into light, her voice a whisper: *"Even weeds… can bloom."*

**Epilogue**:

Neo-Kyo rose anew, hybrids and humans rebuilding under the Dawn Spire's glow. In the Chrono Wastes, a single black orchid bloomed—its petals trembling with familiar laughter.

**Final Line**:

*"The garden never dies. It only… replants."*

End