CLEANSING THE CRYSTAL

LORD NIKO'S POV

Cedric's temper flared the moment the old witch appeared; her sinister presence thick in the air. His swift reaction caught me off guard, but I was elated as he banished her with a decisive strike. Her shrill cry echoed before she vanished, and for a moment, the crystal before us lost its glow, dimming to a dull shimmer.

I exhaled in relief, but the feeling was short-lived. The river beside the crystal—once pure and serene—began to flow dark red, as if the earth itself was bleeding. The haunting screams and shrills returned, reverberating from deep within the mountain walls, sending a shiver through me.

Cedric turned to me; his expression grim. "I've felt this power before," he said, his voice low but certain. "It's the same as Margaret's. They were working together all along."

"What does that mean?" I asked though I dreaded the answer.