章 202: chest

Emily stood there, her chest rising and falling with the weight of her breath as she stared at the spot where the figure had been moments ago. The power coursing through her body began to settle, the relics slowly quieting their hum as the echoes of the battle faded into the silence of the temple chamber. The tension in the air was replaced by an eerie stillness, as if the ancient structure itself was taking a moment to acknowledge the enormity of what had just occurred.

Mara sheathed her sword with a sigh of relief, though her eyes still darted around the chamber warily. "Is it… really over?" she asked, her voice thick with disbelief.

Calem, leaning heavily on his staff, glanced at Emily. "For now," he said, though there was no certainty in his tone. "But the figure—whatever it was—it was stronger than we imagined. And the fact that it came after these relics means it knew something we don't."