The glow of the rift faded, leaving behind a swirling void that shimmered faintly above the obsidian gates. The once-chaotic battlefield was now eerily silent, save for the faint crackle of Ignis's flames and the cold wind that swept over the shattered ground. Kaelron knelt in the center of the devastation, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. His hands trembled as the last vestiges of his merging magic dimmed, the strain of purifying the Core leaving him drained.
Nyx approached, her steps hesitant but steady. "Kaelron?" she said softly, kneeling beside him. "You alright?"
He nodded weakly. "The Core... it's stabilized. For now." He glanced at the faint light emanating from the void where the rift had been. "But it's not over."
Zerin and Eryk joined them, their weapons sheathed, their expressions grim. Frostbane padded beside Eryk, the frost wolf's ears flattened against its head as it sniffed the air warily.
"We won," Zerin said cautiously, looking around. "Right?"
