Deep within the Martial Emperor Secret Realm, in a location far removed from where Arthur had claimed the Emperor's Seal, the seven hooded figures stood before the sealed crater.
Their forms were still and silent as statues. The formation's light had dimmed completely over the past hours, fading like dying embers.
Now only oppressive darkness remained, thick and suffocating like a physical weight pressing down. The air itself seemed heavy with anticipation, as if the world held its breath.
At the center of the broken seal, something stirred beneath layers of ancient stone.
The scorched earth cracked further with sounds that echoed across the desolate landscape.
Each crack was sharp and distinct, like bones breaking under pressure. Deep fissures spread outward like spider webs across black stone that had been unchanged for millennia.
The cracks grew wider with each passing moment, revealing depths that seemed to extend forever downward.
