The silence following the Duchess's destruction lasted less than two seconds.
Then Arven Manor truly began to die.
The first rupture came from the foundations. A deep rumble reverberated throughout the main hall, so violent that the entire floor tilted abruptly to the left. Columns cracked in half. Part of the upper balcony simply gave way behind Damon, plummeting amidst burning beams, frozen marble, and ice-covered debris.
The cold still radiated uncontrollably from him.
The nearby walls continued to freeze under his presence, forming thick layers of crystal over cracked stone and agonizing organic structures hidden beneath the mansion. The heat of the fire and the supernatural ice collided violently around the hall, creating dense clouds of steam that made everything partially invisible.
"MOVE!" Cedric roared, his voice already failing from the blood that dripped from his armor.
