The second seal had fallen.
Far from Valoria, beneath the palace of Duke Marveil's territory, the remains of an ancient magic circle lay scattered across a vast underground chamber.
The explosion had torn through the foundations, sending a column of mana surging upward. Part of the palace had collapsed, its walls fractured and towers reduced to rubble. Smoke and dust filled the courtyards as servants and guards fled from the destruction.
The surviving court mages hurried to establish defensive formations while knights struggled to organize the evacuation.
"Activate the barrier!" Duke Marveil ordered. "All available court mages, reinforce the city's defenses!"
The mages immediately gathered around the defensive arrays. Streams of mana flowed from their bodies, illuminating the runic inscriptions engraved along the palace walls. One by one, the formations activated, their light spreading outward until a massive barrier enveloped the surrounding district.
