The air shimmered with a quiet, almost sacred stillness at the edge of the Core Region.
Valeris stepped through the last veil of light, her boots clicking softly on the obsidian floor streaked with veins of silver essence. Her robes clung to her like stardust, still damp from the emotional tide she had passed through. Her breath caught as the chamber widened before her—immense, cosmic, alive.
And standing in its center, bathed in the light of the Rift's heart, was Asher.
He wasn't injured, but the weight in his posture was unmistakable. Sword sheathed across his back, wings tucked close, gaze distant. The trial had left its marks—not scars, but impressions deeper than flesh.
She exhaled, half a laugh, half a sigh.
"I lost again," she said, the words carrying more exasperation than sorrow.
Asher blinked and turned, golden eyes landing on her. A faint smile touched his lips.
"You're late."
