Kael's fingers brushed against the shard. The moment he touched it, a jolt of energy surged through him—sharp and agonizing. He gasped, feeling as though the ground beneath him was shaking with the power of the Hollow Gate awakening.
The woman in white smiled coldly. "It's too late now."
She raised her hand, and the air around them thickened, like it was being sucked into a void.
"You've opened the door," she said, her voice distant as if coming from somewhere far beyond. "Now, the Gate can never close."