Two items fell through the portal and onto the King's lap.
The Dryad's massive heart, the size of a human head, its structure somewhere between crystalline and organic, radiated a faint luminescence that had persisted even through preservation and storage.
The core bore the unmistakable signature of Disaster-class power. No council member, no matter how determined to deny the facts, could mistake what they were seeing.
The six council members attempting to maintain their dismissal argument went silent.
An individual among the group emitted a sound, not articulated words, but rather a constricted gasp, as the profound implications of the unfolding events overwhelmed their preconceived notions.
"That's..." another started, then stopped. His eyes tracked from the Dryad core to Jack to King Maelor and back again, processing the implications of the object's existence.
Queen Morvana's composure cracked fractionally.
