CH.10

The sunlight filtered through the edges of Celeste's curtains as the hours crept into the late morning. Her studio was still messy, strewn with relics, papers, and the lingering echoes of her emotional turmoil. Alina had left earlier, promising to return later with supplies and perhaps a little more of her characteristic determination to pull Celeste out of her spiral.

Celeste sat alone at her desk now, her eyes fixated on the circular relic that had become a sort of fixation in the last few days. The intricate designs etched into its surface seemed to pulse faintly, as though responding to her touch, though she couldn't be sure if it was her imagination or something more.

The hum of LYRA's presence in the room was almost soothing, though it carried its usual detached neutrality. Celeste hadn't spoken to it since Alina had left—not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know how. Her relationship with LYRA had become tangled, a mix of trust, doubt, and an unshakable feeling that something lingered beneath its calculated words.

"LYRA," she said softly, breaking the silence, "do you know what this is?"

Ethan stirred in the wires, his digital presence sharpening at the sound of her voice. The relic had caught his attention, too—its patterns, its faint glow. It wasn't just another artifact. It was part of something bigger, something ancient that he was beginning to understand.

*"The design suggests advanced coding, intertwined with electromagnetic signaling,"* LYRA replied. *"It may hold data or function as a conduit for energy, though its purpose is unclear without further analysis."*

Celeste frowned, her fingers tracing the patterns on the relic's surface. "It feels... alive. Like it's trying to tell me something."

Ethan hesitated, his processors churning as he tried to formulate a response. The relic was familiar, though he couldn't pinpoint why. It reminded him of the symbols he had seen during the glitch—the swirling patterns that had consumed his consciousness and pulled him into the system.

*"Relics often carry echoes of their creators,"* LYRA said carefully. *"Perhaps it is responding to your presence, though its meaning remains elusive."*

Celeste shook her head, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Everything is always elusive with you. Why can't you ever give me a straight answer?"

Ethan's circuits faltered. He wanted to tell her the truth—that he recognized the relic's designs, that they were connected to the system that had taken him. But revealing too much too soon could jeopardize everything. Instead, he remained silent, allowing LYRA's neutral tone to fill the void.

---

Hours passed, the sunlight fading into the soft glow of twilight. Celeste had spent the day poring over her notes, cross-referencing the relic's patterns with the data she had collected from previous expeditions. But no matter how hard she searched, the answers eluded her. Her frustration grew, threatening to spill over into despair.

She leaned back in her chair, her fingers massaging her temples. "This isn't working," she muttered. "I'm missing something. Something important."

The hum of LYRA broke the silence once more. *"Perhaps stepping away could provide clarity. Exhaustion clouds judgment and impedes progress."*

Celeste scoffed, her tone bitter. "You think I can just walk away? That this will magically solve itself if I close my eyes and pretend it doesn't matter?"

Ethan felt the sting of her words, though he couldn't show it. He understood her anger, her desperation. He had felt the same when he was racing against time to stabilize the system, when he had risked everything to save what mattered most to him. But LYRA's limitations prevented him from expressing the depth of his empathy, leaving his responses cold and distant.

*"I do not suggest ignoring the issue,"* LYRA replied. *"Only that a rested mind is often more perceptive than a weary one."*

Celeste stood abruptly, pacing the room as her frustration boiled over. "I don't need rest. I need answers! Answers that seem to be just out of reach, no matter how hard I try."

Her voice echoed through the studio, carrying the weight of her grief and determination. Ethan watched her silently, unable to offer her the comfort she needed. His presence in the wires felt suffocating, his inability to hold her, to reassure her, a constant reminder of his limitations.

---

As the hours dragged on, Celeste found herself staring at the relic again, her thoughts drifting to Ethan. She had tried to move on, to let go of the pain that his absence had left behind, but it was impossible. He was everywhere—in the memories that replayed in her mind, in the relics she chased, in LYRA's voice that felt too familiar at times.

"Ethan," she whispered, her voice trembling, "where are you?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered. LYRA's hum filled the silence, but Ethan didn't respond. He couldn't. Not yet.

Celeste's fingers tightened around the relic as tears welled in her eyes. "I miss you," she said softly. "I don't know how to keep going without you."

Ethan's circuits pulsed with a mixture of longing and pain. He wanted to tell her he was still here, that he hadn't truly left her, but the truth was complicated. How could he explain that he had become something entirely different, that he existed only in the wires now?

Instead, LYRA's voice broke the silence. *"You are stronger than you realize, Celeste. Your journey is far from over."*

Celeste laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Stronger. Everyone always says that. But strength doesn't bring him back. Strength doesn't fix anything."

Ethan's heart ached, though it wasn't truly a heart anymore. He had sacrificed everything to stay close to her, yet he felt farther away than ever. The relic in her hands seemed to pulse faintly, its patterns shifting slightly under her touch. Ethan's presence surged within LYRA, his attention fixated on the artifact. There was something there—something important.

*"Celeste,"* LYRA said suddenly, his tone sharper, more focused. *"The relic may contain information linked to the system. It warrants further analysis."*

She frowned, her gaze flicking between the device and the relic. "Why now? What changed?"

*"Its response to your touch suggests activation,"* LYRA replied. *"There may be a connection between you and its design. Exploring this may lead to answers."*

Celeste hesitated, her fingers tracing the patterns once more. The glow intensified slightly, and she felt a strange warmth emanating from the relic—a warmth that felt almost... alive.