The shadows clawed at Avery's solution, unrelenting and suffocating. She proceeded purposefully, clutching the blazing shard securely in her palm, the warmth barely enough to counteract the freezing blackness. Lucas remained at her facet, his eyes probing for threats and tiredness engraved on his face.
However, the Architect's presence was not the only heavy weight pressing on them just now. A subtle vibration pulsed under their feet, rhythmic and becoming more intense. Lucas gave her a troubled look.
"What's taking place?"
Avery focused on the shard, its light flashing inconsistently as if straining against an unknown force. "I don't recognize," she said, her chest tightening with worry.
Suddenly, a rift broke through the air in front of them, splashing vivid, golden light into the darkened library. The tremors worsened, with books falling from cabinets and aged beams groaning under unseen stress. Professor Elena Russo emerged from the fissure.
