บท 437: When The Light Falls

The Valerian Hall exploded.

Not with fire or thunder, but with something far more profound. A pillar of pure white light erupted from the building's heart, shooting skyward with such intensity that it turned night into day. For a brief moment, the medieval architecture of the prestigious city stood outlined against this brilliant backdrop, its towers and spires casting impossible shadows in multiple directions.

Then came the darkness.

It wasn't just an absence of light – it was something alive, something hungry. It coiled around the white pillar like a serpent, two primal forces locked in a desperate embrace. The collision point between light and dark pulsed with colors that hurt to look at, tearing at the fabric of reality itself.