After everything, he had finally found the fragments. All that remained now was to reclaim them and be done with all of this.
Atticus slowly glanced around the space, confirming there were no enemies in sight, then drew in a deep breath, forcing his racing heart to settle before finally stepping forward into the light.
The instant he crossed the threshold, a violent shock surged through his body, locking him in place as though the space itself had seized him.
His hand shot to his chest, his heart slamming wildly beneath his ribs, each beat echoing too loudly in his ears.
'What… what is this…?'
The overwhelming brilliance dragged his gaze toward the fragments, where heavy, chaotic currents of purple light churned around each one, twisting and colliding in a way that felt deeply wrong.
Before he could process it, a massive, ancient looking eye manifested in the space before them, its single iris fixing onto him with crushing intent as an unseen wave washed over his senses.
