Sophia was still meditating in the cave, her body still as stone, her breathing slow and deep, each inhale drawing golden mana from the atmosphere, each exhale releasing the dark, stagnant energy that had accumulated in her core during her years in the well.
The light around her pulsed gently, like a heartbeat, like a second pulse beneath her skin, like the slow, steady rhythm of a drum calling warriors to battle.
She was almost there. Almost full. Almost ready.
She could send her signal now. She could call for help. She could save herself and Yuuta from this frozen wilderness, from the creatures that lurked in the shadows, from the scientists who might still be searching for them.
But her mind was drifting.
