The bronze coin blazed with a desperate, flickering light.
Clek stood in the garden, his mother's words echoing in his mind like a warning. *The power is not a weapon, Clek. It's a responsibility. A burden that must be carried by the one who is strong enough to bear it.* The weight of her words pressed down on him, a constant reminder of the burden he now carried.
The city was healing. The darkness was contained. The source was sealed. But the peace felt fragile, like a thin layer of ice over deep water. And the bronze coin, warm and pulsing in his hand, was a constant reminder of the power that still flowed through his veins.
Aria's presence flickered in his mind, soft and concerned. "Clek. You've been standing here for hours. What's wrong?"
"Something is coming," he said, his voice f
