The Seal’s Fracture
The air was thick with the remnants of battle. Dust swirled in golden wisps under the fading sunlight, and the temple walls still crackled with lingering energy. Solarius had been driven back, but the seal they had come to protect was in danger.
Tranquility clutched his chest, feeling the Sun Peridot’s warmth steadying him. The power still pulsed wildly inside him, but at least now, it was his to command.
Reiko approached the ancient stone altar at the temple’s center. Deep cracks ran across its surface, and golden light flickered from within, barely holding together the magic that had long kept the darkness sealed away.
Syaoran’s brow furrowed. “It’s weakening.”
Endymion stepped forward, his Golden Crystal gleaming in his palm. “Then we don’t have much time.”
Clow nodded, his expression unreadable. “The seal was never meant to last forever. It has held for centuries, but with Solarius’s awakening, the balance has shifted.”
Tranquility took a slow breath. “Can we reinforce it?”
Yue, silent until now, finally spoke. “We can try. But we may not be the only ones seeking it.”
As if on cue, the ground trembled beneath them. A deep, resounding crack split the air, and the golden light within the altar pulsed violently.
The seal was breaking.
Before anyone could react, shadows erupted from the temple floor—twisted, writhing figures that took shape in the dimming light.
Reiko’s eyes darkened. “We’re out of time.”
Tranquility stepped forward, fire already dancing at his fingertips. “Then we hold the line.”
The battle was far from over.