Thud.
The massive oak doors shut tightly behind them. Instantly, the interior of the Grand Cathedral swallowed them in an absolute, suffocating silence.
Roland took point. Behind him, Rianor followed with a heavy limp, trailed by Eva, whose arms were wreathed in the dim glow of her Scarlet Aura. Adul brought up the rear, hugging the comms box to his chest for dear life.
The fading twilight pierced through dozens of colossal stained-glass windows, casting a mystical kaleidoscope of colors that danced across the polished marble floor—frigid sapphire blues, majestic golden yellows, deep violets, and a crimson as dark as fresh blood.
At the far end of the grand hall, the high altar loomed. A towering statue of the Goddess of Light stood mute, gazing coldly down at them. Her crystalline yellow eyes almost seemed to track their every movement with magical sentience.
