Kael stepped through the shimmering portal, Lyra at his heels, the blinding emerald light of his power enveloping them. The gateway pulsed, a raw maw of system energy, leading directly to the heart of Nyx's central tower, to the Core System where she waited. The air on the other side crackled with an energy that felt both exhilarating and suffocating, thick with the silent hum of impending doom.
"Lyra," Kael said, his voice imbued with the absolute certainty of his newfound Admin Level 5 power, "It's time. The final battle."
Lyra, though her face was pale, met his gaze, a fierce light in her eyes. "Then let's finish this." She gripped her sword, a warrior ready for her last stand.
But as they stood poised on the threshold, Kael felt an overwhelming wave of exhaustion, not physical, but
