Mara raised her staff, its crystal tip glowing faintly in response to the oppressive darkness. "This isn't a battle we can win by brute force. The Void has made it stronger than anything we've faced before."
Selene, her energy drained from weakening the gate's seal, staggered but managed to steady herself against the stone wall. "It's drawn directly from the Void itself. If we try to fight it head-on, we'll lose. There has to be another way."
The beast's growl reverberated through the courtyard, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Its massive claws scraped against the stone, leaving deep gouges as it took a slow step forward.
Wei Lin's eyes flicked toward the obelisk at the far end of the courtyard, its surface covered in intricate runes, all glowing faintly with the same dark energy. "That obelisk… it's the source of the Void's power here. If we can destroy it, maybe we can sever the beast's connection to the Void."
