, its ceiling lost in the darkness above. A faint, elegant light emanated from

eart of the Deep, pulsating with vibrant energy, as if alive. Surrounding the altar were four raised platfor

ing in his chest as he approached the altar. "Thi

We must stop this before it begins," he said urgently. "The Heart's pow

chamber. "But how do we activate it? The Heart mu

luminating the symbols on the platforms. "Look!" he called,

xplained. "We may only have moments before the ceremon

s hand on the Heart of the Deep. A rush of warmth surged through him,

d, her voice steady despite the growing tensio

e, the warmth of her presence. As the image filled his mind, he felt the Hea

the platforms

Applying pressure where the pendant's resonance was strongest, he felt the vibr

platform beneath him, sending r

d, rushing to the opposite side as Ja

d voices to swell in the chamber, echoing around them like the tide pulling back to reveal a hidden trea

rged had breached the inner sanctum. Shadowy figures pou

" Jake shouted, panic ig

of the Heart's light erupting in a brilliant column up toward the dark ceiling. It ill

of the Deep intensified, shimmering with an impossible brilliance as the four

aia and Jake from the approaching dark

ting an impenetrable barrier between them and the Heart. They writhed against it,

mitted waves of energy that pulsed outwards, creating

cted from the Heart, others projected from the chaos. Jake strai

the warmth flooding thro

esperately reaching out as though longing to be reunited

and space. He looked to Kaia and Makoa, who were main

, determination surging throu

ake recalled everything