The carriage rattled softly as it rolled down the polished streets of the Emerald estate. Outside the window, the night air carried the cool stillness of a world that had no idea what we had just endured. The dungeon was behind us, the corruption was gone, and all I wanted was to collapse face-first into my bed and sleep for a hundred years.
Instead, I found myself standing stiffly in Father's study, with Orryn bouncing like an overly excited puppy at my side and Veyra standing in quiet elegance near the window. My three spirits hovered nearby, each glowing faintly in the lamplight, and my father's piercing emerald gaze swept across the room.
"So," Father said at last, folding his hands on the desk. His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was enough to make even my spirits straighten. "You've claimed the Diamond Dungeon."
I swallowed and forced myself to nod. "Yes, Father. It… bonded itself to me. Against my will, I might add."
