Chapter 60: Frescoes

The silence was absolute.

Only the distant crackle of a torch dared to disturb the dark immensity that enveloped the place. This was not a castle, nor a council chamber, nor a temple. It was a space between two realities, a place where even time seemed to hesitate to flow. The air was heavy, saturated with an invisible power that would crush the soul of anyone not worthy of standing here.

Eight silhouettes floated in the darkness, scattered like pieces of a broken circle. None of them had any real form. At times, their bodies seemed to be made of shifting ashes, at others a mass of flesh and indistinct shadows. Their voices, when they arose, resounded without echo, as if even space refused to carry them.

- The hindrance weakened.

The one who had just spoken did not move, but his presence became more oppressive. A dull vibration accompanied his words, as if the universe itself were bending under his weight.

- She's not just weakened. She's broken.