Author's POV
The meager fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across Talia's face. She stared at the bone relic clutched in her hand, her mind still reeling from the cosmic ritual she'd just witnessed.
Ruby's chest rose and fell with a steady, revitalized cadence that should've brought immense relief. But Talia's insides twisted with a tumult of conflicting emotions as her gaze drifted to her sister's transfigured form.
A faint, otherworldly luminance seemed to shimmer beneath Ruby's skin. Gone was the deathly pallor that had drained every ounce of life from her features mere hours ago. Now an inner glow pulsed in time with each breath, like some spectral lifeforce had catalyzed her essence into a higher vibrational state.
Is that even you anymore, Rubes? Talia wondered, fingers unconsciously running along the relic's intricate etchings.