Chapter 9
Chapter 9: The Third Crystal
Elara, Kael, and Master Borin fight through the burning streets of the First City to reach the third anchor crystal beneath the Heart of Embers. With the Wraith closing in and the sky fracture nearly complete, Elara uses the last of the World Root's power to hold the creature at bay while Kael and Borin shatter the final crystal. The Heart of Embers collapses, but a giant shadow hand reaches through the fracture and grabs Kael, pulling him toward the void.
The streets of the First City blazed around them. Walls of fire rose from cracked stones, and the air was thick with ash and the smell of burning metal. Elara clutched the fading World Root leaf, its golden light now a faint whisper against the darkness. She ran beside Kael and Master Borin, her heart pounding with every step.
"There!" Master Borin pointed. Ahead, the central plaza opened wide, and in its center stood a massive orb of fire and shadow—the Heart of Embers. It pulsed like a living thing, sending waves of heat across the ruins. Beneath it, embedded in a ring of black stone, pulsed the third anchor crystal, larger than the others and glowing with a deep, angry red.
"That's it," Kael said, his voice hoarse. He wiped sweat from his brow and gripped his tool. "We break that, and the bridge collapses."
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