The heat in the chamber had turned heavy — thick enough to taste.
Ash floated between streaks of red mana, and the air buzzed like a forge ready to burst.
Noel stood with Revenant Fang lowered at his side, watching the two figures ahead.
The Fourth Pillar rested his jagged sword against his shoulder. Beside him, the Third Pillar, a girl not much older than Noel, held a floating staff of fractured crimson crystal. The shards circled her hand like small, hungry moons.
They weren't speaking. Their presence alone made the ground hum.
'They want the crystal,' Noel thought, jaw tightening. 'I still don't know what the hell it's for, but it's the only thing that makes sense.'
He took a step forward, voice even. "What do you want with the crystal?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming red in the dim light.
"Why should I tell you?" she said, calm, almost amused. "You wouldn't understand anyway."
