Chapter 43: The Aftermath

The Sanctum of Balance fell silent, the energies of the ritual dissipating into the air. Skully stood at the center of the platform, his bones glowing faintly with a soft, golden light. The entity was gone, its form dissolved into nothingness.

"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 Sanctum. "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.