Liora paused for a brief moment, as if weighing a final thought, then slowly raised her hand. A small object shimmered into existence in her palm.
Adyr's eyes narrowed with interest. He didn't yet know what it was, but its value was obvious the instant it appeared.
At first glance, it resembled an energy crystal—roughly the size of Liora's hand—radiating a deep violet hue. But this wasn't just any energy crystal. Its form was unnaturally perfect, with no edges or imperfections, its surface polished to a mirror-like smoothness.
Encased within its translucent body, countless strands of energy drifted and collided like stars in a living galaxy. Wisps of light twisted and spiraled with slow, deliberate motion, forming shapes that appeared for a moment, then vanished—nebulae, orbits, fractal patterns too precise to be random.
Lucen, usually unreadable, blinked with subtle disbelief as he approached with brisk steps.
