🔥 Chapter 30 — Heart of the Hub
The clearing overlooked the hub like a dark jewel nestled in the forest. Kael's Ember pulsed gently, threads of fire reaching forward, mapping hidden wards and defensive currents. Every step had to be precise. One miscalculation could trigger the entire network.
Rhyne crouched beside him, sigil blade at the ready. "The inner chambers are heavily warded. If we set off even a minor trap, reinforcements will arrive instantly."
Kael nodded, eyes narrowing. "Then we move carefully. The Ember can neutralize low-level wards, but the core will resist—it's the heart of the hub. If we destabilize it, we cut the King's power in this region."
They descended silently through narrow paths carved between warded trees and faint glyphs etched into rocks. Each pulse of magic Kael felt was like a heartbeat, alive and reactive, guiding them toward the hub's core.
Suddenly, green arcs of energy flickered across the chamber's entrance. Magical sentinels, small but swift, patrolled the area, eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. Kael extended the Ember, flames wrapping around the sentinels, redirecting their movement in a silent dance of misdirection.
Rhyne whispered, "We're almost at the crystal. One more careful step."
They entered the inner chamber. The hub's crystal floated above a pedestal, faint green veins of corruption spiraling across its surface. Energy hummed through the room, creating a tense, almost sentient presence.
Kael let the Ember thread along the crystal, probing its defenses. The crystal pulsed violently in response, arcs of green energy lashing outward. Kael's flames flared, intercepting the backlash while redirecting it safely to the chamber floor.
Rhyne called out, "It's reacting to you! The moment we destabilize it, it'll strike back harder!"
Kael's eyes glowed, focusing. "I know. We have to work with it, not against it. Synchronize your strikes with the Ember's pulses. We can overload the crystal gradually, avoiding a catastrophic release."
The crystal shuddered, veins of green energy flickering as Kael's controlled pulses disrupted its flow. Rhyne struck in perfect timing, sending arcs of energy toward the walls to create safe channels.
Kael whispered, "We're close… just a few more pulses, and the hub's power will collapse."
The forest outside lay silent, waiting, as Kael and Rhyne prepared the final move to destabilize the King's eastern hub.