Seris looked her dead in the eye. "He is now."
Before anyone could speak, the ground trembled again—harder this time. Ashwing clung to Lindarion's hair with a strangled squeak.
A wave of sand rippled outward from the center of the rings.
Then—
Something rose from beneath.
Not a creature.
Not a person.
Not even a spirit.
A structure.
A monolithic slab of obsidian-black stone pushing up from the earth, as if something below had forced it upward. Runes covered its surface—not glowing, not active, but vibrating with restrained power.
Nysha stared. "A… sentinel monolith? In this region? That's impossible, they're all dormant—"
"This one wasn't," Lindarion said quietly.
Ashwing pointed frantically. "Look at the top! LOOK at the TOP!"
They did.
And froze.
