Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Rise of Consciousness

Ethan felt the ancient magic surge through his veins as his hands connected with the statue. The energy from the Heart of the Temple pulsed in time with his own heartbeat, merging with the latent power that had long slumbered in the clearing. The air around him vibrated with a resonance that seemed to echo through the earth itself, as if the land was awakening in response to the power he was channeling.

As the energy built within him, Ethan could feel the presence of the Assembly pressing in on them, the dark magic clawing at the edges of his consciousness. He had to act quickly. There was no room for error.

He opened his eyes, and the world around him seemed to shift. The shadows cast by the trees lengthened unnaturally, and the statue beneath his hands began to glow with an inner light. The clearing itself was reacting, the ancient stones humming with a low, steady frequency that matched the energy coursing through Ethan.