The chamber was quiet now, though the air still hummed with residual energy, the echoes of magic and struggle lingering like smoke in the corners. My claws dimmed slowly, the brilliant light fading into a soft, lingering glow, leaving my hands tingling and raw. I sank to my knees, exhausted, every muscle trembling from the effort, every breath sharp and shallow.
Elias knelt beside me, shoulders sagging. His bow and arrow lay across his lap, still warm from the flames he had wielded. For the first time in what felt like hours, he allowed himself a small, shaky smile. “We… we actually did it.” He said, disbelief threading his words. “I thought we were done for.”
I shook my head slowly, still catching my breath, the adrenaline keeping the trembling at bay. “No.” I said softly. “We won this
