When the last bites were taken, a sudden scrape cut through the hush. Maris stood, eyes glinting with mischief, her smile playing at one corner. "Enough brooding," she said, lifting her palms. Silver-green sparks bloomed from her fingertips, unfurling in elegant spirals that danced along the table. Plates shimmered, then vanished; goblets dissolved into light. The heavy oak gleamed spotless, as if the feast had been only a dream.

Eddy froze, mid-breath, eyes wide. "Did—did you just—" His gaze darted between the polished surface and her glowing hands. "That was like... a whole army of dishwashers in two seconds."

Thorne leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a smirk tugging at his lips. "Get used to it, city boy. That's Maris on a lazy day."

Pyrix's low chuckle rippled through Thorne's chest like a hidden echo. He's easy to impress. Entertaining, isn't it?

Maris brushed her hands together, the glow fading like the last embers of a fire. "I'm done. We can leave now."

Alice let out a long, appreciative whistle, resting her chin on her palm. "You make it look unfairly easy. I'd still be elbow-deep in soap suds right now."

Aiden slouched back, flashing a crooked grin. "Good thing she's on our side. Otherwise we'd all starve, or be eating burnt bread every night."

Lyric's lips softened into a small, genuine smile. Her voice came gentle, a warmth threading through it. "Cooking and cleaning, your magic spoils us more than we deserve."

Elias shook his head slowly, watching the last trails of fading light from Maris's spell. There was awe in his eyes, quiet and unguarded. "Still strange... watching something so ordinary turn into magic."

Cassandra rose next, movement smooth but her gaze sharp with amusement. Her eyes lingered on Eddy's still-stunned face. "Don't worry. You'll stop gawking soon enough... or maybe you won't."

Eddy let out a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry. It's just... different when it's not a story in a book."

Sentinel finally pushed his chair back, the sound even and deliberate. He stood, tall and composed, his shadow stretching long across the floor. His gaze swept the table once, measured, steady, before landing on Eddy. "Stories fade. What waits ahead does not. Keep that in mind."

A hush followed, quiet enough that even the faint hum of the overhead lights seemed louder. Chairs scraped softly as one by one, they rose. Their footsteps echoed down the polished stone corridor, each step measured, uncertain. The pale blue glow spilling from the recessed fixtures painted their faces in cold light, catching the faint tension that lingered in their eyes.

Eddy walked near the middle, his shoulders drawn tight. His hands flexed at his sides, restless, betraying nerves he couldn't quite hide. His gaze kept darting between the walls and the path ahead, as though torn between awe and the urge to turn back.

Elias noticed, his steps falling into rhythm beside him. A crooked smile tugged at his lips, breaking the heavy quiet. "You look like a kid about to open birthday presents."

"It's not that simple," Eddy muttered, voice catching on the edges of his breath, excitement flickering behind his unease.

Lyric walked a little behind, her fingers brushing the wall's glowing patterns as if grounding herself. Her voice came softer, threaded with empathy. "It's normal to be nervous. The Heart... it changes people."

"Not always kindly," Thorne said. His gaze flickered, distant for a heartbeat, as the memory clawed its way back, the searing red light from the Eclipse Heart splitting through the hall, the pain lancing through every nerve, the five of them collapsing as one under its burning pulse. He remembered Alice's strangled gasp, Aiden's growl of agony, Lyric's trembling hand reaching toward the light, Elias gripping his arm with white-knuckled desperation as if anchoring them both against the unbearable surge.

The image faded, and his eyes found Eddy again. The roughness in his tone lingered, but behind it was a quiet flicker of concern as he watched the boy swallow hard, the same unease mirrored in his own chest.

Alice nudged Eddy's arm with an easy grin, the light glancing off her dark-red hair. "Don't mind his gloom. You'll live."

His lips twitched into a small, shaky laugh. "Comforting."

Maris's head tilted slightly, her braid shifting over her shoulder. Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer before she spoke. "Just remember, it's not a spectacle. Treat it with respect."

Cassandra stopped mid-stride, the sharp click of her heel echoing through the hall. Her eyes fixed on Eddy, expression stern but not unkind. "More than respect. The Eclipse Heart isn't a tool or a weapon to strengthen you. It has its own will. It chooses, and whatever it does, it's never for selfish gain."

Lyric's gaze lowered, her thumb tracing an invisible pattern against her palm. "She's right. Power without restraint isn't power, it's ruin."

Eddy ducked his head quickly, a flush creeping up his neck. "Right. I get it. I wasn't trying to—"

Sentinel's voice came then, steady and low, carrying the weight of calm authority. "He means well, Cassandra. But listen, Eddy... the Heart isn't what you imagine. It is powerful, yes, but never ours to command. It gave you all something others could never have. And you too."

Eddy's brows furrowed as his gaze dropped to the floor, the words settling over him like unseen chains. "Then... maybe seeing it will help me understand." His voice trembled, uncertain if the thought itself was a step too far.

Their steps slowed as the corridor widened into a vast archway. Before them stood twin stone doors towering over the group, runes pulsing faintly with light that seemed to breathe.

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Cassandra stepped forward, her movements deliberate. She pressed her palm against the cold stone. The air vibrated with a deep groan as the runes flared to life, splitting down the center. The gates stirred open.

A wash of blue radiance poured out, painting their faces in ghostly light. Shadows danced across their skin, eyes reflecting the shimmer that grew brighter with every heartbeat.

The chamber of the Eclipse Heart awaited.

Eddy trailed close behind the others, his boots striking hollow against the gleaming floor. The instant he crossed the threshold, the light struck him full in the eyes. He flinched, hand rising to shield his face. When the glare softened, he lowered it slowly, breath hitching.

What he saw silenced even thought.

Veins of light snaked beneath his boots, fluid and alive, pulsing with color that shifted like molten glass. They spread outward in endless streams, climbing the walls and vaulting the ceiling, weaving a lattice that breathed with rhythm. Each throb resonated in his chest like the heartbeat of something impossibly ancient.

His eyes widened, tracking the living glow as it flowed, his chest rising unevenly, caught between awe and disbelief. At the center stood the Heart itself, a crystalline core thrumming with rippling azure, lightning frozen mid-storm. Each pulse sent a surge of radiance outward, feeding the veins until the chamber itself seemed alive.

"Bloody hell..." Eddy whispered, the words barely audible against the echo of his breath. His gaze swept the glowing web stretching across the chamber. "These veins... it's like the Heart isn't just sitting here, it owns the whole chamber."

His eyes lifted to the radiant core. "Like it's the master of this place."

Cassandra's voice broke through, calm but filled with reverence. "That's because this chamber was designed for it. Every stone, every carving, every breath of this sanctum exists for the Heart alone. It is the most important part of the Luminaries' Sanctum."

Maris stepped forward, her hand rising as her eyes traced the far wall. "And here," she said, gesturing. The blue veins converged, flaring until a vast map shimmered into view. Light pulsed and shifted across its surface. "Through this, we see every strike, every breach. Every attack across Zephyros. It records, warns, and remembers."

Eddy's eyes tracked her gesture. His breath caught, pupils widening as the map unfurled before him in glowing relief. Mountains shimmered like sleeping giants, forests pulsed with veins of green light, and the seas rippled in restless motion. His mouth hung open, awe softening every line of his face. "That's... the whole world. Is it... is it real?"

"Real," Elias said, stepping closer beside him. "And not just real. It changes with the land itself. When Zephyros shifts, the map shifts. Storms, floods, quakes—it reflects all of it."

Lyric's voice followed, steady and low. "Because the Heart's magic doesn't end here. It flows everywhere—through stone, through rivers, through people, through every living creature. That's why the map updates. Whenever something changes, the Heart feels it, and the Sanctum answers."

Eddy blinked rapidly, his gaze darting across glowing rivers and trembling light. "So... it's inside everything? Even animals?"

Alice's lips curved, the corners lifting with a spark of amusement. "Especially animals. The wilds are full of echoes the Heart carries. That's why no hunt goes unseen."

Eddy let out a shaky laugh, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Bloody hell... so you're telling me it's like... one big nervous system. The whole world wired into this thing."

Thorne's grin was all teeth. "Exactly. And some nerves are more painful to touch than others."

Eddy's gaze flicked downward again. His reflection shimmered faintly beneath the glowing rivers, awe and unease colliding behind his eyes. "And you've had this the whole time? Watching everything like, like gods looking down?"

"Not gods," Cassandra corrected, her voice clipped but calm. "Stewards. The Heart belongs to no one. We only guard what it chooses to share."

Eddy swallowed, the movement tight in his throat. "Guard something like this? Sounds like a full-time curse."

Alice bumped his shoulder with a crooked grin. "Don't worry. You'll stop gawking eventually. Maybe."

Across the chamber, Sentinel stood apart. His posture was still, almost deceptively relaxed, but his golden-flecked eyes tracked Eddy's every reaction with quiet precision.

No one spoke for a long moment. Eddy's movements grew slower, reverent, his head tilting as if afraid to blink and miss something. The others lingered nearby, silent witnesses to the awe unfolding before them. Even they couldn't quite tear their eyes from the living map that pulsed and shifted like breath beneath glass.

Elias, though, barely saw the map. His gaze was fixed on the crystal itself, its light washing over his face in pale hues. Something in its glow reached for him. His chest rose unevenly, a tremor working through his hand as he pressed it to his ribs. For an instant, it felt as if the pulse of the chamber beat in time with his own heart.

Sentinel's gaze shifted. Not to Eddy this time, but to Elias. The boy's face had gone still, too still. Sentinel's brow furrowed, the faintest tension flickering through his jaw.

He's... different, Vaelthar's voice murmured within, edged with curiosity. The others marvel. But that one, why does he look as though he's hearing something we cannot?

Sentinel's eyes narrowed. He said nothing, though a muscle ticked in his cheek as he watched Elias.

"Hey, dude," Thorne's voice broke the silence, a hand landing on Elias's shoulder with a solid clap. "You okay? You were staring like it was gonna swallow you."

Elias blinked hard, air flooding back into his lungs. "I'm fine," he said quickly, forcing his shoulders to loosen. "Just... it's a lot to take in."

But his fingers twitched once at his side, betraying the storm twisting beneath his calm.

On the other side of the chamber, Eddy edged closer to the Heart, his grin returning, boyish, reckless. His hand hovered midair, inches from the shimmering surface.

A voice cut through the chamber. "Stop."

Eddy froze, muscles locking as Sentinel's sharp tone cracked across the air.

"Too close," Sentinel said, his gaze unflinching. "The Heart's magic isn't gentle. Stand where you are if you value your skin."

Eddy stepped back, his pulse visibly jumping at his throat. "Right... lesson learned. No petting the giant glowing crystal." His attempt at humor came thin, uneven.

Alice's lips twitched, Aiden shook his head, a huff escaping him. Cassandra's expression didn't shift, but her fingers flexed once against her robes.

Then the veins beneath Eddy's boots brightened, unnoticed. The reflection in the crystal rippled, faintly mirroring him, as though the Heart itself had taken notice.

He turned, forcing a laugh, but the sound faltered when the floor beneath them began to hum.

The Eclipse Heart flickered.

Light flared through its veins, uneven and alive. The map shuddered, walls rippling with shadows like passing storm clouds.

Sentinel's head lifted instantly. Cassandra went still, her breath catching. Elias's eyes widened, the glow reflecting in their depths. Thorne's usual grin vanished, replaced by sharp focus as Pyrix awoke within him, a molten heat coiling under his skin like a dragon rousing from slumber.

Alice shifted her stance, tension threading through her arms. Lyric's hands tightened on her sleeves, knuckles white. Maris pressed her palm against the nearest wall, brow furrowed as if listening through stone.

Aiden's jaw clenched, his nostrils flared, and something feral flickered in his gaze. Beneath his calm exterior, Fenrik stirred restlessly.

Eddy frowned, confusion cutting through the glow around him. "What?" he whispered, glancing at each tense face in turn.

Then he turned.

The Heart blazed again, this time with a surge so intense the veins beneath their feet lit like lightning. The entire chamber pulsed with radiant, living fire.

Eddy's breath caught. His eyes widened, transfixed as the light swallowed him whole.

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