The ruined courtyard dissolved around us, its walls and broken stones unraveling into streams of mana. Luke lay limp in my arms, his blood soaking through my dress. I clung to him, trying to ignore the fear twisting in my stomach. None of this was real. His wounds weren't real. And yet, I could feel his heartbeat slowing beneath my fingers.
"Luke...?" I whispered, brushing the hair from his face. "I'm here."
His eyes fluttered, and he stirred weakly. I managed a small smile as the threads binding his soul loosened and his wounds began to fade.
But something resisted.
I frowned and raised my gaze toward the World Shard. The immense formation shuddered around me, its countless runes shifting as mana surged through the spell.
"So, you've finally noticed," I murmured.
A sudden pressure struck my soul, attempting to seize the threads I'd gathered. I held fast, drawing upon my aura as another presence joined the first. Rithen and the Pope had finally realized something was wrong.
