Chapter 165: Chapter 165: The Heart of the Keep

The aftermath of the vortex left the chamber eerily quiet, the echoes of the energy that had surged through it still lingering in the air. Elara stood at the center, breathing heavily as she tried to process the magnitude of what they had just experienced. The orb on the pedestal had dimmed to a soft, steady glow, as if it had finally been sated by their determination.

She looked around at her companions, each of them showing signs of the ordeal—sweat beading on their brows, eyes wide with a mix of fear and awe. But beneath that, Elara could see something else: a shared resolve, a quiet understanding that they had just crossed a threshold from which there was no turning back.

Lyra was the first to speak, her voice steady but tinged with exhaustion. "That was… unlike anything I've ever felt. It was as if the Keep itself was testing us, trying to see if we were worthy."