Ethan's heart sank. He felt it instantly—a powerful spatial force had silently sealed off their path forward. No way through.
He frowned, turning to Auri and Idra. "Auri, Idra, something's locking down this space. We'll need to break through it somehow."
Auri's expression tightened. She didn't speak, but the tension in her brow and the pale cast to her face said enough—she felt it too, that crushing pressure in the air.
She knew as well as he did: if they couldn't shake this force, they might never reach the valley. Never find the answers they were chasing.
"I'll try," she said quietly, her voice steady. Then, without hesitation, she rose into the air, light as a breath.
Up above, she spread her arms. A soft glow bloomed in her palms, like she was calling to the space around her.
Her fingers twitched, and the energy in the air stirred—twisting, rippling, as if something unseen had heard her and was answering the call.
