The passage beyond the shattered sphere led to a narrow corridor, its walls alive with shimmering, golden light.
The oppressive darkness of the containment zone was gone, replaced by an energy that seemed both serene and foreboding.
"This is it," the Sentinel said, its voice steady. "The core lies ahead. Every step you take now will shape the fate of the Cradle and perhaps beyond."
Tobi nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. The mark on his chest glowed faintly, as if sensing the significance of the moment.
The corridor opened into a vast, circular chamber. At its center was the core—a massive, crystalline structure that floated above a swirling vortex of raw energy.
Its surface was pristine and radiant, but fractures ran through it, emitting faint traces of the corruption they had battled.
