The night air was still, the moon casting a pale silver glow over the village as Elara and Seren stood before the glowing symbol. The courtyard was empty, save for the two of them, standing as if caught in a moment frozen in time. It wasn't just the stillness of the night that hung heavily in the air—it was the weight of the unknown that loomed ahead, pressing against Elara's chest like a hundred-pound stone.
"I've never seen anything like it," Seren whispered, her voice thick with awe and uncertainty. The symbol on the floor pulsated softly, its glow shifting like the tide, ebbing and flowing with an almost rhythmic grace. Elara could feel it, too—the pull of something vast and ancient, something alive within the stone, waiting to be awakened.