CRACK!
The sound echoed through the Heart Chamber like thunder.
Everyone froze.
The massive fracture running through the Heart continued spreading.
Golden light leaked through the widening crack.
Ancient symbols shattered one after another.
Thousands of years of protection.
Thousands of years of sacrifice.
Thousands of years of hope.
All beginning to crumble.
Emily stared upward.
Her heart pounded.
The moment she inherited Aurelia's power, she had gained a deeper connection to the Heart.
Now she could feel everything.
The strain.
The damage.
The instability.
The seal was dying.
And it was dying fast.
"The Heart can't hold much longer," she whispered.
Orion's expression darkened.
He already knew.
The ancient guardian slowly lowered his head.
For the first time, he looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
As though the weight of ten thousand years had finally caught up with him.
Cassian stepped forward.
"How long?"
