The energy burst was immediate, an invisible wave rippling out from the pillar, ruffling feathers, cloaks, and flame alike. The rings flared as if lit by lightning, and the sky above the platform darkened in a blink. A thick, roiling cloud punched through the air, descending like a claw from the heavens.
And then, silence. The rings vanished. The symbols blinked out. The blood stopped flowing. Something had answered.
The impact struck like a falling star.
Snow exploded outward in a ring of white fire, flurries whipped into the air as if the sky itself had gasped. Arkilla reacted instantly, shielding Ren with her body, her arms raised as shards of ice stung her skin. A deep hum echoed from the ground, a heartbeat of something ancient waking.
