Forty-Three

The stillness within the chamber was ghostly, as though the air had been depleted of life. Ethan and Selene remained on the cold stone floor, breathing intensely, their bodies and minds battered by the fight they had just engaged in. The crystal's once dynamic shine had diminished, casting long shadows over the chamber.

Ethan pushed himself to his feet, each muscle in his body challenging. The adrenaline that had fueled him amid the battle was quickly blurring, taking off behind a profound depletion that debilitated to drag him beneath. He stretched his hand to Selene, to get her on her feet.

“Are you okay?” he inquired, concern embedded in his voice.

Selene gestured, in spite of the fact that her eyes were far off, still preparing what they had just experienced. “I think so. But… that was too close.”

Ethan couldn’t argue with that. The power of the crystal had been their salvation, but it had also nearly destroyed them. He could still feel the remnants of its energy coursing through