The room fell into an eerie silence. Mae’s energy still lingered, heavy in the air, but the Unseen had retreated. The dark shapes flickered, slowly fading. They hadn’t been defeated, but they had hesitated. Mae had never felt that before. The walls still shuddered, but the ground had settled, the tremors no longer shaking the room to its core. The air was thick with the weight of what had just happened.
Lucien stood next to Mae. He moved first, gently lifting her to her feet as if she might collapse. Mae blinked, dazed, her knees buckling slightly from the residual energy. She could still feel the aftershocks, but they were different now, not as uncontrollable. Lucien’s voice was soft but firm. “You’re okay. You did well. Just breathe.”
But Mae barely heard him. Her mind raced, trying to
