The sky above the continent of Aethelgard did not simply darken; it turned a sickly, suffocating shade of ash grey.
High in the floating citadel of the Ivory Tower, fifty Grand Mages collapsed onto the marble floor, completely drained of their life force. In the center of the chamber, the Supreme Magus drove his glowing staff into the heart of the citadel's core.
A massive, invisible shockwave erupted from the tower. It wasn't a wave of destruction, but a wave of absolute silence. It swept across the oceans, over the mountains, and tore through the cities with terrifying speed.
The Grand Sealing Ritual was complete. The world's magical leylines—the invisible rivers of ambient mana that fueled every spell and artifact on the continent—were forcefully severed.
Hundreds of miles away, in the bustling industrial heart of Winterhaven, the effect was instantaneous.
