The moment the true demigod stepped through the golden breach, the relic shuddered like a dying beast inhaling its last breath. Walls expanded and contracted in a grotesque pulse. Abyssal sludge surged upward in geysers. The dragon roared, its gradually solidifying form warping the chamber with every movement.
Kain kept his eyes low, body hunched protectively over the practically destroyed body of the boy as chunks of stone began to fall down around them.
The three damaged Vespids buzzed weakly beside him, shaky wings flapping in uneven rhythm. Their flight capability had been restored only in the barest sense—Queen had patched them together, but the repairs were quick and surface-level. They weren't fighters now. They were an exit vehicle.
The demigod's presence split the relic's air like a blade.
