The underground chamber stretched endlessly ahead, its walls trembling with a low hum that seemed to come from the earth itself. In the center, the massive crystal pulsed — a slow, red heartbeat that painted the stone in waves of light.
Noel stood beside it, Revenant Fang resting against his shoulder, eyes locked on the crimson glow. "Feels like it's about to start," he muttered.
Selene, standing a few paces away, brushed her fingers along the icy mist forming at her palm. "It's dense," she said quietly. "There's so much mana in the air I can barely breathe."
Albrecht, expression carved from steel, didn't look away from the tunnels ahead. "Adept rank at the lowest," he said, voice flat. "Ascendants for most. Prepare yourselves."
Noel exhaled slowly and drew a circle with his thumb in the air, mana flaring around his arm. "Ignition Surge." Flames burst along Revenant Fang's blade, the steel shimmering orange against the red-lit stone.
