Erend stood quietly near the edge of the basin while the containment operation continued unfolding before him. The fragment remained suspended at the center of the site as countless streams of silver and blue energy flowed between the formations constructed by the expedition mages.

The crystal pylons pulsed steadily. The layers of runes continued spreading across the ground. Their glow becomes brighter with each passing minute.

Everything appeared to be progressing exactly as planned, but Erend found it increasingly difficult to focus solely on the fragment.

A strange sensation continued tugging at his awareness.

At first he thought it was simply fatigue or lingering concern for the kingdoms. However, the feeling refused to disappear and instead it grew stronger.

The world seemed to be shaking.

Not the physical world around him. The basin remained stable. The crystal formations still stood unmoving. There were no tremors or anything passed through the ground beneath his feet. But somewhere beyond what his eyes could see, something felt disturbed.

Erend frowned slightly. Ever since he came into contact with things connected to this Creation, his senses had changed without him realizing it.

He could no longer perceive reality only through physical sight. Sometimes he sensed fluctuations that seemed to exist beyond ordinary existence. But he didn’t think too much about it because of everything that had happened.

This felt like there was as if another layer of reality existed alongside the world he knew. Not separate but overlapping. Similar but also different. A place where forces beyond mortal understanding moved and collided.

Right now, something within that unseen realm felt wrong.

Before he could examine the sensation further, a loud voice pulled his attention back toward the operation.

"We’re almost finished!" one of the senior mages shouted while maintaining several containment circles simultaneously. "The synchronization is stabilizing faster than expected!"

The announcement immediately spread through the basin and relief appeared on their tired faces.

The exhausted knights released breaths they had been holding for what felt like hours.

The knights guarding the perimeter tightened their grips around their weapons and exchanged hopeful looks. Even the mages maintaining support formations seemed visibly encouraged.

They all wanted this to end. Every person present understood that their mission here represented only one part of a much larger crisis. The faster they secured the fragment, the faster they could return to their kingdoms and join the desperate struggle against the Void Architect.

Nobody knew how much damage had already been done.

Nobody knew how many cities had fallen, how many soldiers had died, or how many families had already been torn apart by the invasion.

Those uncertainties weighed heavily upon every member of the expedition.

Erend could see it clearly.

Despite their professionalism, despite their determination, their fear still filled and shadowed behind many of their expressions. Some of them felt worried about their parents and others worried about children, siblings, spouses, or friends.

They continued performing their duties because they had no other choice, but anxiety remained visible in their eyes.

Erend looked at them for several moments before turning toward one of the senior mages overseeing the containment process.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.

The senior mage did not answer immediately.

Instead, the man continued studying several floating runic projections while mentally calculating something. Only after several seconds passed did he finally glance toward Erend.

"Actually..." the mage said thoughtfully. "There might be."

Erend waited.

The mage gestured toward the containment network surrounding the fragment. "The process is stable, but maintaining synchronization with the fragment requires a tremendous amount of Magic energy. If you provide Dragon Magic like you did during the journey, we might be able to accelerate the operation significantly."

Erend nodded without hesitation. "Then let’s do it."

The moment the words left his mouth, crimson Dragon Magic erupted from his body.

A powerful wave of energy spread across the basin. Brilliant red light flowed through the air like a living tide before descending upon the mages maintaining the containment formations.

The effects became apparent immediately. The exhausted mages felt their fatigue lessen. Their minds became clearer. The strain placed upon their bodies eased. Several runic formations brightened as fresh power reinforced them.

"I can feel my Magic flow is stabilizing. Good work, Dragonborn!"

"The synchronization rate is increasing!"

Excited voices rose throughout the site.

The senior mages quickly adjusted their calculations and pushed the formations harder than before. What had once required immense effort now felt noticeably easier under the support of Erend’s Dragon Magic.

The containment circles accelerated. The transport arrays brightened. Even the fragment itself seemed to respond more smoothly to the network surrounding it.

Smiles appeared on many faces. Cheers spread among the expedition members.

Watching their spirits rise, Erend finally allowed a small smile to appear on his own face.

The containment process continued for several more minutes as the mages carefully guided the fragment through the final stages of synchronization.

Every mage remained completely focused upon their task because even a small mistake at this stage could destabilize the entire operation.

Then, at last, the fragment responded.

The rotating rings of energy surrounding it gradually slowed before settling into a stable rhythm. The pulses that had previously surged through the basin weakened until they became calm and controlled.

Layers of luminous Magic condensed around the fragment and formed an intricate cage made entirely of silver and blue light.

The structure hovered in the air like a floating prison of ancient runes and glowing barriers.

A wave of relief swept through the basin.

One of the senior mages studied several floating projections before a broad smile finally appeared on his exhausted face.

"It’s done," he announced loudly. "The fragment is fully contained and ready for transport."

Another cheers immediately erupted throughout the site.

Several knights raised their weapons into the air. The mages exchanged relieved smiles. Hours of preparation, countless battles, and an exhausting journey through corruption had finally led to success.

Without wasting time, one of the knights stepped forward and retrieved a transport artifact from a secured container. The artifact began glowing the moment he activated it.

Golden runes expanded across the ground, space distorted, and a massive portal slowly opened before the expedition.

The knight turned toward the group and spoke with a serious expression. "We’re ready to go home."

The words immediately strengthened everyone’s spirits.

Erend looked toward the portal for a moment before giving a firm nod.

—