The heavy iron club of the goliath chimera lay scattered across the cave floor in a dozen jagged pieces, its dark purple fire fizzling uselessly against the ice.
Silence settled over the cavern, broken only by the howling wind outside and the ragged, shallow breaths coming from the back of the cave.
Seraphina didn't waste a second. Kneeling beside Aurora, the ocean queen placed her glowing hands flat over the girl's chest. Soft, swirling currents of deep-sea mana flowed from her palms, wrapping around Aurora's body like a cooling blanket. The agonizing heat in Aurora's veins began to subside as the dark purple lines crawling up her neck receded, turning into wisps of foul black steam that vanished into the frigid air.
Aurora let out a long, shuddering sigh, her trembling hands slowly coming to rest on her lap. Color slowly returned to her ghostly pale cheeks, though her eyes remained glossy with fatigue.
