Chapter 211: Lillieth saved him.
The energy burst was immediate, an invisible wave rippling out from the pillar, ruffling feathers, cloaks, and flame alike. The rings flared as if lit by lightning, and the sky above the platform darkened in a blink. A thick, roiling cloud punched through the air, descending like a claw from the heavens.
And then, silence. The rings vanished. The symbols blinked out. The blood stopped flowing. Something had answered.
The impact struck like a falling star.
Snow exploded outward in a ring of white fire, flurries whipped into the air as if the sky itself had gasped. Arkilla reacted instantly, shielding Ren with her body, her arms raised as shards of ice stung her skin. A deep hum echoed from the ground, a heartbeat of something ancient waking.
Principal Arcane stumbled back, his feet slipping in the frost. He raised his long black sleeves to shield his face, breath caught in his throat. Cold air rushed into his lungs like needles, each inhale tearing. It had been a thousand years since he last dared to perform this summoning, and now his magic core felt as if it had been cracked open and drained dry.
As the last flurry fell and the temple yard stilled, the wind died completely, replaced by a heavy, unnatural silence. The torches flickered. The shadows grew long.
They turned their eyes toward the center of the stone platform.
He stood there.
A towering silhouette cloaked in the remnants of the storm, his presence folding the air around him. The light bent at the edges of his frame. His aura was not just powerful, it was oppressive. Every breath inside the pillar circle became a struggle, like trying to inhale beneath deep, crushing water. The cold wasn’t merely physical anymore, it dug into the spirit, numbing thoughts, and slowing hearts.