body

Emily stood in the aftermath, her body trembling, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The relic, once a faintly glowing object of mystery, now pulsed in her hands with an almost sentient intensity, as if aware of its victory. But its energy, far from feeling like a triumph, weighed heavily on her heart. The shadow was gone, its oppressive presence no longer choking the air around them, but the silence that followed wasn't peaceful. It felt like the eye of a storm, a brief respite before an inevitable reckoning.

She exchanged a glance with Calem and Mara, who stood on either side of her, equally exhausted but resolute. The three of them had faced countless dangers together, but this moment felt different. The threat was gone, and yet the room still hummed with an undercurrent of danger, as if something darker still lingered.