The Heart Chamber was silent.
Utterly silent.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Everyone stared at Emily.
Golden light flowed around her body like a living river.
Ancient symbols drifted through the air.
The cracked Heart above seemed to resonate with her presence.
As though recognizing its new master.
As though acknowledging its rightful heir.
Emily slowly looked around.
Everything felt different.
Sharper.
Clearer.
She could hear the heartbeat of every person in the chamber.
She could feel the ancient energy flowing through the Sanctuary itself.
She could sense the weakening seal surrounding the Heart.
And beyond that—
She could feel the Devourer.
The realization sent a chill through her.
The creature's presence was vast.
Far larger than she had imagined.
The fragment imprisoned within the Heart was only a tiny part of what truly existed beyond the Rift.
Emily finally understood why Aurelia had been unable to destroy it.
The Devourer wasn't merely an enemy.
