They were all breathing hard, the sound of their ragged gasps echoing faintly across the chamber's cold stone.
One by one, they slumped to the ground, their bodies too heavy right now and their chests heaving too fast. The pressure they'd just endured even though it was just the mere presence of that thing's shadow had drained them beyond anything they had faced before.
Even now, none of them could find the words to describe what they had felt. It wasn't just fear or pain or even Magic. It was something older, deeper, something that looked at their soul.
"You saved our lives," Kaela said, still struggling for breath. She looked at Jan with a mix of awe and gratitude, her voice low but firm. "If you hadn't acted as fast as you did..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew what she meant.
