Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Clash Against the Archon

Before us, in the gloom, loomed the massive form of the Archon: a glare of sharp, bright red eyes stared into our group with uneasy focus. Its weight in this place filled the room, heavy to inhale. Behind it, the decaying coarse structure that was called the Nexus Core pulsed energy with every heartbeat, feeding power into the Archon himself. 

I clutched the Verdant Aegis tightly. I felt the piece in my other hand trembling, reacting to the strong energy issuing both from the Core and its protector. The wolves spread, revealing a flash of teeth, and Ember bristled her fur, sending tiny glowing sparks popping around her. 

"Spread out!" Silvermane screamed, the heavy silence splintering with her sudden voice. "We cannot let it focus on all of us at once." 

As if to obey her, the Archon lifted an arm, and the earth shook at our feet. Shadows writhed, breaking into tendrils, striking out in all directions.