A sudden crack echoed through the chamber.
The chains of dark magic restraining Cyrus snapped like brittle glass, dissolving into the air in wisps of black smoke. The force of it sent a ripple through the chamber, a pulse of energy so raw and primal that even the darkness recoiled.
Everyone froze.
Jonathan's grin faltered and his eyes widened in shock and then terror as he instinctively stepped back.
Cyrus lifted his head, his breath slow. His usually sharp blue eyes had turned a piercing silver, luminous and unearthly.
The air around him grew heavy with something ancient that made the entire Spire tremble.
Phoenix felt it, too. It wasn't just power, it was recognition. It was as if something deep within her was stirring in response, something that had long been buried but never lost. Her heart pounded, and she stared at him, unable to look away.
There was a bond, a celestial thread connecting them.