The crystal material at our feet shimmered in an unearthly light that seemed to come from no direction and all directions at once. Every step on the smooth, glass-like floor set up a soft reaction of light at our feet, as if the land was alive, observing us.
Far away, the Nexus stood as big as any statue: an enormous crystal building with tall points that seemed to touch the sky. Its center glowed with a continuous light, a silent pulse which vibrated in the air and deep inside us.
"We are close," I whispered in a steady voice.
Ember strode along beside me, her gold eyes scanning the foreign landscape. "Close enough to feel it," she said in a hushed voice. "That thing… it's alive, right?"
Nodding, I clutched the Heartseed tighter, its soft light pulsating with the Nexus-like pieces of one thing. "It is more than alive; it is the heart of this world, the source of everything. If we don't stop this corruption here, it will go everywhere.