Chapter 1636: The Beat of the Unseen

The rift pulsed like a living thing, its edges glowing faintly with an ominous light. Elara staggered back, her breath ragged from the strain of the battle against the shadow's magic. The relic still thrummed in her hands, its light flickering weakly as if exhausted from the clash.

Thorne reached out, steadying her. "Are you alright?" His voice was tight with concern, but there was also an edge of urgency to it. They had won the battle, but the war was far from over.

Elara nodded slowly, brushing the lingering pain from her arm as she stood tall. "I will be," she said, but her voice betrayed the lingering uncertainty. "The rift... it's not done. This is only the beginning." Her eyes remained locked on the glowing fracture in the earth. The land itself seemed to groan under the pressure of whatever force lay beyond it.