The cave air was thick, heavy with an energy that hummed beneath the stone. I could feel it vibrating through my bones, pulling at something deep inside me. The artifact—the thing we had traveled so far for—was close. So close I could almost taste it.
Lucian’s hand was warm on my back, a grounding presence I had come to rely on. He had been my strength when I had none left. Now, I needed to be strong for both of us.
We stepped into the inner sanctum of the cave, and there it was. The artifact.
It wasn’t much to look at, just a stone pedestal, its surface carved with strange runes, and atop it rested a small orb. A relic that had been hidden for centuries. But the power emanating from it was undeniable. It felt like the heartbeat of the earth itself pulsing through the cavern.
I hesitat
