The Hollow Spire was collapsing.
Cracks split the ancient stone, violet runes flickering wildly, as if struggling to hold the Spire together. Dust rained down in thick waves, and the once-imposing obsidian door now lay in shattered ruins.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Because Aedros was gone.
Not dead.
Not defeated.
Gone.
And Damien knew—if they didn't stop him now, they never would.
—
The Ruins of a Forgotten War
The others were already moving.
Selene sprinted toward Damien, golden eyes blazing. "We have to go. Now."
Erynn was close behind, gripping what remained of her shattered blade. "If he gets to the surface—"
Damien gritted his teeth.
"I know."
Because Aedros wasn't like the First Lords.
He wasn't a tyrant seeking power.
He wasn't a conqueror looking for a throne.
He was a force of destruction.
And now, he was free.