When the light finally receded, the Great Hall felt different. The oppressive, soul-crushing weight of the past had lifted, replaced by a strange, hollow peace. The obsidian cage lay in a million harmless shards at my feet, and the Northern Node was finally free. It pulsed with a brilliant, pure white light that cast long, rhythmic shadows against the rafters.
“You did it,” Killian whispered. He appeared at my side, his hands steadying me as I stumbled, my body still vibrating from the influx of energy. “They’re at peace, Elara. I can... I can feel the air again. The ghosts are gone.”
“We aren’t done yet,” I said, pointing toward the holographic display on Aris’s tablet, which was flickering with a frantic red warning.
00:14:22.
“The Master Console is at the very pinnacle of the S
