Chapter 237: Echoes After the Storm

The silence that followed the Archivist's banishment was thick, almost suffocating. Kael's chest heaved as he struggled to steady his breath, the weight of the battle pressing down on him. Around them, the Archive's walls pulsed gently, as if breathing a slow, calming rhythm after the tempest.

Lysara sat cross-legged, her fingers tracing faint runes in the air. "She's trapped, but not destroyed," she murmured. "Her influence lingers. We need to cleanse the Archive before it corrupts anyone else."

Corven stood guard by the entrance, his eyes scanning the shifting shadows. "And what of the fractures in time she caused? I saw glimpses—worlds colliding, histories unraveling."

Kael nodded grimly. "The Archivist's power isn't just her own. It's the memories and events she's twisted, the lives she's erased or rewritten. We must repair those fractures, or risk losing everything."

Lysara rose, determination burning in her eyes. "Then we split up. Corven and I will trace the damaged timelines and heal them. Kael, you must secure the core of the Archive before the instability spreads."

Kael hesitated. "Alone?"

She smiled softly. "You're not alone. You carry the strength of all who came before us. And I'll be close."

As they prepared to depart, a faint ripple stirred beneath the floor. The Archive was alive—watching, waiting. Somewhere, the Archivist's voice whispered, "This is far from over…"