Ethan didn't hesitate. He reached out and took the crystalline sigil from the Sea King's hand. The moment his fingers brushed its surface, a chill ran up his arm—a cold, pulsing vibration that sank deep into his bones.
He drew a steady breath and channeled his own power into the sigil.
It lit up.
A soft glow rippled outward like a drop in still water, and with a flick of his wrist, Ethan hurled it into the swirling vortex behind him.
There was a faint chime—then the vortex flared open.
A heartbeat later, Namyanna emerged, riding the crest of a wave that surged from the portal like the ocean itself had carried her home. Her sea-blue trident gleamed in her hand, and the moment she stepped through, the air changed.
The sea answered.
Power surged from both of them, crashing outward in a tidal wave of ancient, living energy. It smelled of salt and storm, of deep currents and distant tides. Blue light spilled across the sky, spreading like breath returning to a long-dead world.
