The calm that followed Tenebris's defeat felt almost unnatural. It was as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Orin sat in the Nexus, his fingers absently tracing the stone tablet before him. It held no answers, only the engravings of old prophecies words that had never fully made sense. Until now.
"Orin," Zaria's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "We need to talk."
He looked up, seeing her standing in the doorway of the Nexus chamber. Her face was serious, and though her eyes held a familiar warmth, there was an unmistakable concern there.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, standing up as she walked toward him.
She paused, eyes scanning the room before settling on him. "There's something we didn't see coming. We defeated Tenebris, yes, but..." Her voice trailed off, as if uncertain how to continue.
"But?" Orin prompted, already feeling the weight of unease settle in his chest.
"The power we fought against wasn't just Tenebris," Zaria continued. "It was something more. Something older. And it's not gone. We disrupted it, but not destroyed it."
Riven, who had been silently observing, now stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "You think there's something else? Something else pulling the strings?"
Zaria nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Yes. The realms are still connected by forces we don't fully understand. I'm not sure if we've dealt with the full scope of the danger."
Orin's heart sank. He had hoped that with Tenebris's fall, the Nine Worlds would have peace. But peace was never a lasting thing in a world as volatile as theirs. They had only scratched the surface.
"We need to investigate," Orin said, voice determined. "There's more at play here. And I intend to find out what it is."