Chapter 34: The Aftermath

The light from the Prism of Harmony faded, leaving the Nexus eerily quiet. The Serpent was gone, its form dissolved into nothingness. The energies of light and darkness swirled around us, their forces balanced once more.

"We did it," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "We actually did it."

Skully, perched on my shoulder, let out a low whistle. *"That was… intense. Even for us."*

I laughed, the sound echoing through the quiet Nexus. "Yeah, no kidding. I don't think I've ever been that scared in my life."

Skully's rune flickered faintly, his eye sockets narrowing. *"You? Scared? Nah, you were totally cool under pressure, Master."*

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Thanks, Skully. But I couldn't have done it without you."

We stood there for a moment, taking in the stillness. The weight of the Prism was gone, replaced by a sense of relief and accomplishment. But as I looked at Skully, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still off. His rune was glowing faintly, but it seemed… different. The golden light was tinged with a faint, ominous red.

"Skully, are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

He hesitated, his eye sockets narrowing. *"I'm fine, Master. Just… tired, I guess."*

I wasn't convinced, but I didn't push the issue. We'd just fought a battle for the ages, and we all needed time to recover.