Now that you’ve mentioned a mandala and Neev constantly drawing it, I feel like it’s a deliberate hint
From what I’ve read the mandala represents the universe and harmony, and it’s typically a map for navigating spiritual rituals, it has Hindu/ Buddhist ties ( from what you’ve told us about yourself, I think it’s beautiful that you use your culture and terminologies of your faith in your work)
I think the mandala seems to represent both the natural order of life and a magical/ cosmic system, Neev appears to be its foundation, which even aligns with the meaning of her name. Although she’s referred to as a key, I think she’s now like a ‘living Nexus’, someone who anchors the system itself. Anchoring/ connecting with Ansel who operates in a direct, more visible way, much like his elemental fire powers. While Zev exists more on the periphery, lingering in the shadows, similar to how he told Neev he stays at the edge of their bond
Though from what I’ve read, mandala’s often feature 4 cardinal points or elements, not 3 to maintain symmetry and harmony, so it makes me wonder if there is a 4th anchor not revealed to us yet. Maybe it’s the last hidden Nexus site, a future/ known character, or even some kind of principle that completes the mandala only when everything lines up.
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