The chamber still crackled with fading magic. The sigils sealing the ancient horror pulsed softly, like embers in a dying fire. The battle was over—for now.
Mallory forced herself upright, rolling her sore shoulders. Every part of her body ached, and she could still feel the lingering pressure of that thing's presence, like an invisible weight pressing on her skull.
Quinn rubbed his temples. "That was… significantly worse than I expected."
Greg was still lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. "I need a vacation. A long one. Preferably somewhere without screaming horrors from beyond time."
Alex sat cross-legged, inspecting his blade. "We were lucky. If Blinky hadn't…" He trailed off, glancing at the little slime, which was happily wiggling in Mallory's lap.
Elara, ever composed, studied the sealed prison. "The runes are stable, but they won't last forever. If that thing starts to break free again, we might not be able to stop it next time."