The air outside the obelisk tightened further, coiling around the dunes like the hushed breath of a sleeping deity. The remaining groups approached the altar one by one.
And among them… was the black-robed faction.
They had not bought plushies.
They had not traded.
They had not even asked.
Yet their leader stood calm as if he already held the key.
His hood dipped slightly as he murmured to himself...
"A slime toy…? Could he be…?!"
A faint glint crossed the man's hidden eyes... something between suspicion and recognition... before he looked toward the direction where Lucien had vanished.
The black-robed women behind him remained silent. Their presence was eerie yet composed.
"Prepare," the leader said quietly. "We enter the moment our turn arrives."
They waited… and watched.
•••
A world unfolded around the Verdant Veil group... A world that made even seasoned practitioners fall still.
Marie's breath caught.
"This... this isn't a ruin at all. It's more like a kingdom."
