The chamber did not go back to how it was after the fight. That was the first thing Aurelion noticed. It didn't feel lighter, and nothing relaxed the way it usually does after danger passes. Instead, everything felt steady, like the space had adjusted itself after what had just happened.
Aurelion stayed still for a moment while the others started to shift around. He wasn't tired, and he wasn't distracted. He was thinking. The faint glow on the floor where the last creature had disappeared was still there, but it was no longer unstable. It had already settled into the pattern around it, as if it had always been part of the floor.
Sally stood beside him and looked at the same spot. "That wasn't just something left behind," she said. Aurelion replied, "No." She kept her eyes on it. "It was meant to happen." He didn't disagree.
