Chapter 37: The Core Exposed

The crystal material at our feet shimmered in an unearthly light that seemed to come from no direction and all directions at once. Every step on the smooth, glass-like floor set up a soft reaction of light at our feet, as if the land was alive, observing us. 

Far away, the Nexus stood as big as any statue: an enormous crystal building with tall points that seemed to touch the sky. Its center glowed with a continuous light, a silent pulse which vibrated in the air and deep inside us. 

"We are close," I whispered in a steady voice.

Ember strode along beside me, her gold eyes scanning the foreign landscape. "Close enough to feel it," she said in a hushed voice. "That thing… it's alive, right?" 

Nodding, I clutched the Heartseed tighter, its soft light pulsating with the Nexus-like pieces of one thing. "It is more than alive; it is the heart of this world, the source of everything. If we don't stop this corruption here, it will go everywhere.