The cavern buckled with violent force.
A thunderous crack ripped through the Hallows, splitting the far wall in a jagged arc. Dust burst upward in great clouds, swirling around us like storm fog. The silver veins along the floor pulsed rapidly, faster and faster, until the whole chamber flickered like a fading constellation.
“Nathan, move,” Riven shouted.
Nathan grabbed my hand again and pulled me toward the tunnel that had formed behind the well, the final escape I'd unknowingly carved open when the mark surged. My legs trembled beneath me. My body felt hollowed out from the purification, like the magic had burned through my bones and scraped out everything soft.
Still, I forced myself upright.
The original guardian stepped in front of us, blocking falling debris with its massive sto
