Elder Vane’s gasping breath rattled through the high executive chamber, cutting through the horrified silence like shattering glass.
Black, weblike veins spread across his pale face, surging upward toward his temples. My royal white light flared blindingly beneath my palms, pressing hard against his chest, but the void corruption hungrily absorbed the golden magic, mutating the light into dark, swirling tendrils that burrowed deeper into his vital organs.
"It’s feeding on your power, Lyra." Gideon warned, rushing to my side and gently pulling my glowing hands back from Vane's chest. "Stop.The more magic you pour into him, the faster the poison consumes his heart."
"We can't just let him die, Gideon." I cried, my voice cracking as I looked down at the old elder whose eyes had rolled back
