I stepped into the center of the monolith circle, my feet crunching on the diamond-dust sand that seemed to hum with a discordant frequency. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the heavy, oppressive weight of Aurion's paranoia.
"Everyone, brace yourselves," I warned, my voice echoing flatly against the mirrors. "I'm going to flood the system. If he won't answer the Ember, he'll have to answer to the Law."
I took a deep breath, stabilizing the raging ocean of energy within my core.
"Magicore Output: 55%."
I didn't release a beam this time. Instead, I channeled the energy into a localized sphere at the center of my chest, then expanded it outward in a massive, hemispherical pulse of pure, blinding white light. It wasn't meant to destroy; it was a "sonar" of pure existence.
