"Just trust me," I said, stepping closer to the altar. The shard's hum grew louder, resonating in my bones. Whatever this thing was, it held the key to the Citadel's power—and to our survival.
The closer I got to the shard, the heavier the air felt, as if the room itself was pressing down on me. Ji Ho hung back, his instincts clearly screaming at him to stay away from the thing radiating raw energy.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice barely audible over the shard's low hum.
"No," I admitted, my fingers brushing the surface of the altar. "But this is why we're here. The shard isn't just powering the Citadel—it's tied to everything: the guardians, the wraiths, maybe even the beast inside you."
Ji Ho stiffened. "You think destroying it will fix me?"
I glanced back at him. "It's a gamble. But if we leave it here, it'll keep causing havoc. Destroying it might sever the Citadel's hold—and everything it's corrupted."