[Intro — silence, then a single note of light]
[Verse 1]
Level twenty-four was not what she expected
She had expected a wall — a fight
Something that explained why everyone wanted them to stop
What she found instead was a star
Cracked — dimmed — flickering
The way something flickers when it has been holding on
For a very long time
Waiting for something it was not sure would come
And then it felt her
And it held on a little harder
[Pre-Chorus — crew around her, no words, just presence]
The crew went still
(The Hero said nothing)(The Hunter said nothing)
(The Swan was not dancing)(Aldric closed his notes)
(The Queen stood very straight)(Castor moved closer)
(The Laborer bowed his head)
And SOLARA put her hand out toward the light
And felt Elara
Not the name — not the memory
But the feeling of a woman who ran toward the north
Who never stopped running
Who promised a star she would come back
And could not keep that promise
SOLARA kept it for her
[Chorus]
True Polaris — you waited and we came
True Polaris — we carry every name
Of everyone who tried to reach you
Everyone who fell before
True Polaris — we see you
We see what they have done
And we are making one promise here —
We will find what broke you
We will bring you home
No matter what comes
No matter how far
No matter who tries to stop us
True Polaris — we swear
[Verse 2]
The light that reached her was old light
She knew this — light travel rules
What she was seeing had left Polaris long before she got here
Which meant the present wound was worse
And still it held on (for her)(specifically)
(it had been holding on)(since before she knew)(what she was)
[Bridge — SOLARA speaks to the star and to Elara through it]
She said: I do not know what did this
She said: I know it is connected
To every higher state that pushed back
Every bounty on our heads
Every wall at every level that said stop here — go back — this is forbidden
She said: but you held on
You held on until I came
And I am here
And I am not leaving
Until I find what broke you
And I bring you back
Whatever it costs — whatever it takes — whatever comes next
(the star flickered)(brighter)(just for a moment)(like something exhaled)
[Final Chorus — all eight voices]
True Polaris — you waited and we came
True Polaris — we carry every name
Of everyone who tried to reach you
Everyone who fell before
True Polaris — we see you — we see what they have done
And we are making one promise here —
(Castor:) We will find it
(The Queen:) We will end it
(The Hunter:) We will track it down
(The Hero:) We will face it
(The Laborer:) We will lift it
(The Swan:) We will carry every sound
(Aldric:) We will map it
(All:) WE WILL BRING YOU HOME
True Polaris
No matter what comes
No matter how far
No matter who tries to stop us
True Polaris — we swear
[Outro]
The star did not go out — it held
And SOLARA stood at level twenty-four
With seven people behind her
And a promise ahead of her
And somewhere far above in another fold
Asala and Basala looked at each other
Basala said: she made the pact
Asala said: yes
And neither of them spoke for a very long time