In the depths of the royal palace, King Maximilian's face turned visibly pale.
He lay seated cross-legged in an underground room, hand clasped together in a seal. All around him, the walls, the ground, and the ceiling were inscribed in densely packed runes.
The runes were complex and centered around an hourglass-shaped artifact that lay before him. This was the heart of the barrier that protected the city.
The node chambers located at strategic points throughout the city acted as ancillary points that held the structural integrity of the barrier. But the one to truly fuel the barrier had always been Maximilian. Without him, the barrier would cease to function.
Now that three out of the four nodes had been destroyed, he was instantly overwhelmed. Now, he not only had to fuel the barrier, but also prevent it from collapsing.
