The glowing rift pulsed before them like a heartbeat, its light washing over the fractured shards in golden waves. Aria’s embers flared instinctively, coiling around her like living serpents, sensing every shift, every ripple of power that emanated from the figures within. The four cloaked beings stood at the edge of the rift, their forms tall and imposing, faces hidden beneath hoods, but their eyes, when glimpsed through the mist, shimmered with strange colors that shifted like molten glass.
Kael’s hand tightened around hers, grounding her in the chaos. “Whatever they are,” he said quietly, “we face this together. No hesitation.”
Aria nodded, feeling the heat of her embers surge in agreement. She stepped forward, the shards beneath her trembling but holding. The light of the rift drew h
