Chapter 495: Breaking the Heart Crest

"Ready?" Bethiv asked, his gaze meeting mine.

We stood before the imposing gates, two hundred soldiers arrayed behind us. Their souls radiated intense mana, so concentrated that it made the air shimmer like heat rising from the ground. I couldn't remember ever seeing so many powerful souls gathered in one place, their combined energy illuminating the courtyard.

They all waited for my command, their faces a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. But I was frozen, my tail stiff and my hands trembling. With a single word, it would all begin—my final battle to save Elise and destroy the Circle. It had taken years to reach this point, years of hardship, tears, and suffering. Was I truly ready to face the man who had orchestrated so much of my pain?

Fable's soft growl reverberated through me, the warmth of his presence a comforting anchor in the storm of my emotions. I was about to face the Circle, but I wasn't alone. Not anymore.