The sanctuary responded to Aaron's command, its vast network of power pulsing like a living entity. It combed through itself as though it were a colossal system, scanning, analyzing, hunting down the anomaly hidden within its depths.
Isobel watched him silently, her gaze steady on her brother. The air around him trembled faintly as he focused, as if the entire realm bent in obedience to his will. Though he was master here, though the sanctuary itself was his extension, the search proved difficult. His brow furrowed, the sheer effort visible in the stillness of his body.
The heart resisted discovery.
And yet, Aaron's control was absolute. Inch by inch, layer by layer, he probed until he finally felt it—buried deep beneath the sanctuary, close to its core.
A heart. Still beating. Still alive, despite having no body to feed it, no blood to pump.
