Asher approached the ancient door, its six glowing seals arranged in a perfect circle, each one pulsing like a heartbeat. The air around it felt heavier—older—as if the chamber itself was holding its breath.
He placed his palm against the first seal.
The surface rippled like water.
"Tch… yeah. This is gonna take a while," he muttered.
The Knight stood guard behind him, silent, blade resting tip-first against the ground.
Asher focused.
The seal responded immediately, threads of light unraveling outward the moment he touched it—but they didn't open. Instead, they tangled around his hand like chains made of energy.
"Great. Complicated and annoying. Perfect."
He pulled his soul power through his palm, channeling it carefully. The threads hissed, tightened, then loosened as he pushed the right amount of pressure into the pattern. The first seal dimmed, then folded inward like a flower closing.
One down.
Five more to go.
