Chapter 1697: The Shattered Mirror

The storm had subsided, but the air remained heavy with tension. The ground beneath Liora and her companions was scorched and cracked, a testament to the chaotic energy that had surged through the rift they had just closed. The remnants of the battle lay scattered around them—fragments of light and shadow that dissolved into the air like ash. The group stood in silence, their breaths ragged, their bodies weary from the fight. Yet, their resolve remained unshaken.

Liora rose to her feet, her hands still faintly glowing with the residual energy of the heart's power. She could feel the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders, the fractures in the balance growing more pronounced with each passing moment. The man's words echoed in her mind, a haunting reminder of the Divide's relentless advance.

*"This is not over. The Divide will rise again, and you will fall."*