Plot

Hours later, freshly bathed and dressed in the ceremonial robes of deep purple that marked her as an initiate, Samantha was escorted back to the central chamber. The Sanctum corridors were eerily quiet, the only sound the soft padding of their footsteps against stone.

She had managed to learn precious little from Elara, who had grown increasingly reticent as the time for the ceremony approached. Whatever opportunities existed for gathering information would have to come during the ritual itself.

The chamber had been transformed in her absence. The floating orbs had been dimmed, replaced by tall black candles that cast long, flickering shadows across the walls. The Well of Echoes glowed with increased intensity, the liquid starlight within it shifting and churning like a living thing.