Lily collapsed onto her knees as the final words of the chant hung in the air. Then the room imploded into chaos. Shadows thrashed about her, clawing back into existence. The walls shook to the power of it all. And at the very center of the chaos, Lily felt something inside herself tearing.
Her mother's voice was a distant echo now, fading away with the shadows.
"You cannot control what you've unleashed, Lily."
Lily gasped for air, her vision darkening. The world was spinning, her limbs heavy, as though she were caught in a whirlpool of darkness. She clutched at her chest, feeling the shadows inside her, pushing to break free.
But she wasn't done. Not yet.
She dug deep, finding in herself strength she didn't even know she had left, pushing the shadows back, forcing them into the symbols on the floor. With a final cry she slammed the last syllable of the chant out, and the room erupted into white-hot light.
Everything went silent.