Chapter 88: Shattered Foundations
The air was thick with smoke and residual magic, the ground beneath Valen's feet cracked and unsteady. Around him, the ruined nexus chamber lay in disarray, its once-glowing seals now dull and fractured. Each crack emitted a faint, eerie hum, the sound like a discordant echo of the entities' whispers.
"Is everyone alright?" Valen asked, his voice strained as he steadied himself against a broken pillar.
Aylara coughed, waving a hand to clear the dust around her. "Alive, if that's what you're asking. But this… this is bad."
Seraphine knelt near the largest seal, her staff glowing faintly as she examined the damage. "Bad doesn't begin to cover it," she said, her tone grim. "The seals are still holding, but barely. The energy keeping them intact is unstable, and it's leaking into the chamber."
