Yet those who had felt it more deeply were not left entirely unchanged.
The shackles around their own foundations seemed to loosen ever so slightly, and for a fleeting instant, they glimpsed a path leading beyond the limits that had bound them for most of their lives...
Then the phenomenon settled.
BOOOOM!
A brilliant violet bolt of lightning descended from the dark clouds above and struck directly toward the central platform.
Dust and energy erupted outward the moment it landed.
When the storm of power finally subsided, a crown could be seen floating there.
It was surrounded by arcs of violet lightning carrying strange properties that caused the very fabric of space around it to tremble. Ancient runes glowed faintly upon its surface before fading once more, as if hiding their true nature from prying eyes.
The crown remained suspended in the air under the gaze of everyone present.
The elder calmly stepped forward.
