Finally, we reached the bottom. The cellar stretched out before us, vast and empty except for broken wine racks and rotting barrels. But at the far end, I could see something glowing. Soft purple light that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"There," I pointed. "That has to be it."
We approached cautiously, expecting traps or attacks. But nothing happened. The cellar remained silent except for the sound of our footsteps on stone.
The glowing object was a crystal. About the size of a human heart, it floated in midair above a stone pedestal, pulsing with concentrated shadow magic. Dark energy flowed from it in visible waves, feeding the darkness that covered the kingdom.
"That's the focal point," Elena confirmed, her magical senses probing it. "Daemon's ritual is anchored through this crystal. Destroy it and the darkness collapses."
"Then let's destroy it." Kael raised his sword to strike.
