Lindarion's eyes glowed brighter, golden runes tracing across his arms as he unleashed divine and void energy in perfect balance. The clash of opposites burned away the tendrils, leaving only smoke and silence behind.
Then, faintly, a voice emerged from within the fading shadow, weak, but resolute. Balance… restore…
Lindarion lowered his sword slowly, breathing steady. "I will."
The light faded completely, leaving the ruins dark once more. Only the faint pulse of the World Tree's mana remained.
Ashwing exhaled shakily. "That thing was half-dead already. You think it was warning us?"
Lindarion looked toward the root-veined walls, where traces of dark mana still writhed faintly. "No. It was remembering."
He turned toward the exit, his expression unreadable. "And something else remembers with it."
As they stepped back into the light, the air above the ruins shimmered faintly. For just a moment, the canopy of Lorienya dimmed, like the forest itself holding its breath.
