Chapter 81

*Elora*

The circle beneath my feet pulsed with old magic.

Runes carved into the stone flickered like veins under my boots, threading out in every direction. I could hear the low murmur of students and council members from above, the echoing ring of weapons clashing in distant trials, and the faint but unmistakable hum of something ancient unraveling beneath my skin.

The moment I stepped into the c