Liora felt the surge of energy tear through her body, a violent storm of light and darkness clashing within her very soul. The room seemed to dissolve into chaos, the glowing runes on the walls pulsating wildly as if in protest of her actions. Her companions shouted her name, their voices distant and distorted, but she couldn't focus on them. The crystal was a storm, a torrent of raw power, and it was inside her now.
Images flooded her mind—visions of worlds consumed by darkness, cities crumbling under the weight of corruption, and people crying out for salvation. She saw herself standing in the middle of it all, her hands stained with both blood and light. The corruption wasn't just something external; it was part of her. It had always been.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, the energy coursing through her too much to bear. But as the darkness threatened to consume her, she felt a warmth—a steady presence cutting through the chaos like a blade.