The heart of the Chaos God hung in the air, a monstrous, pulsating jewel of crystal and shadow. Veins of crimson energy crawled across its surface like parasitic worms, each throb sending a wave of nauseating power through the cavernous space. It was utterly exposed, a king without its guard, and the silence that emanated from it was more terrifying than any roar. This was the source. The lock. And they held the key.
For a long moment, the three of them simply stared, the howling wind of the outer realm silenced by the sheer magnitude of what lay before them. The air thrummed with a latent energy that made their teeth ache and their skin crawl.
Marcus was the first to break the spell, his soldier’s mind cutting through the awe. “A trap,” he stated, his eyes scanning the empty chamber. “I
