Chapter 56: Hope

The cavern offered a precarious sanctuary. The bioluminescent glow cast long, dancing shadows on the walls adorned with murals depicting the Watchers' forgotten battles. Relief washed over Friesland, a fleeting sensation amidst the weight of their predicament. "The entity seems… subdued," Elizabeth whispered, her voice echoing softly in the cavern's stillness. But a tremor of fear lingered in her eyes. Friesland nodded, his gaze fixed on the swirling blue vortex pulsating faintly in the distance. It was a fragile barrier, and the tendril of darkness that had breached it continued to grow, a harbinger of the entity's inevitable escape. "How long do we have?" The Scholar's voice raspy, mirrored the question gnawing at Friesland's mind. There was no answer. The unorthodox ritual remained an unknown quantity. Hours? Days? The passage of time felt distorted in this desolate pocket of Aethel. "We can't stay here forever," Elizabeth stated, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hands.