Ace's mouth fell open in shock. "This can't be... I'm..."
"That explains why you were able to naturally form Runes on the brink of death," Lin Ye interjected thoughtfully. "Your bloodline has always possessed an innate connection to the stars and dimensions."
Ace sank into thought, recalling how Roger had once vaguely mentioned the mysterious origins of his mother, Portgas D. Rouge. All this time, he had only known that she came from an island somewhere in the South Blue, but he had never heard of any connection between her and the Aurora Tribe.
"Accept your bloodline," Claire guided him softly. "Do not resist it. Let the two powers merge rather than clash."
Ace took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried to relax as Claire instructed. Slowly, the turmoil within him began to settle, and the glow of his Runes stabilized. Suddenly, a dazzling purplish-red pillar of light shot from Ace into the sky, resonating with the Star Map on the dome.
"Flame of Will!" Claire cried out, her voice brimming with joy. "The stars have acknowledged the identities of the three Guardians!"
The energy within the formation gradually subsided, and the glow of the three men's Runes weakened as well. When the ritual ended, Claire nodded in satisfaction. "The Star Guidance Ritual has confirmed your identities. Now, it is time to give you the third Anchor Stone."
Claire led the three through layer upon layer of corridors within the observatory until they reached a circular stone chamber at its deepest point. Its doors were carved with intricate star Runes and could only be opened through a specific sequence of energy.
"This is the Starheart Chamber," Claire explained. "It is the holiest place of my tribe and the repository of the third Anchor Stone—the Starheart Stone."
Claire pressed