The air in the chamber grew still, the heavy, earthy energy from the near-catastrophe clashing with the cold, pure, and terrifyingly powerful presence of the goddess. Lianhua. She was not just beautiful; she was perfection given form, a living embodiment of celestial order, and her presence made the very air feel thin and sharp.
I pushed myself to my feet, my body screaming in protest, my mind racing. I was drained, my power exhausted. But I was a queen. I would not kneel. I would not break.
"Lianhua," I said, her name tasting like poison on my tongue. "I was wondering when you'd show your face."
"And I have been wondering when you would stop playing with my toys and face me directly," she replied, her voice a silken caress that was more threatening than a shout. She glided into the room, her feet not quite touching the ground. Her eyes swept over the scene, taking in the exhausted earth-demons, the glowing Astra, the sputtering Heartstone, and finally, me.
