Inside the prayer hall, Thea sat cross-legged in front of a large, ancient Buddha statue, draped in saffron robes and aged by centuries.
Her bridal hairpin still tucked into her bun, she seemed oddly out of place, still in her wedding attire, but enveloped in a cocoon of divine light.
At her front stood Half-Deity Monk, Kong Jian, his palm glowing with golden radiance as it hovered over her forehead.
Ancient Sanskrit verses whispered softly from his lips, too ancient for most ears to decipher. His expression was solemn and focused, his entire being emitting a faint, otherworldly divinity.
Kaelen, Thea's father and the House Griffin Patriarch, stood quietly nearby with his hands behind his back. Though he didn't interrupt, his eyes rarely left his daughter's pale face.
As the golden light faded, the monk withdrew his hand, and the divine aura dissipated into sparks of gentle warmth. The sealing process was complete.
