David leaned heavily against the Sun Door's golden surface, his face ashen and drawn. The mana drain from Vespera's invisibility spell combined with his ongoing power suppression had pushed him far beyond his physical limits. Each breath felt like drowning in reverse, and only the steadying hands of Vespera and Princess Elyssira kept him upright.
"Master," Vespera whispered, her ethereal form flickering with concern. "Your mana is barely holding together."
Princess Elyssira placed her delicate hand beside his on the ornate golden runes. "The chamber beyond..." she paused, tilting her head as if listening to voices only she could hear. "Something feels wrong about it. Very wrong."
The royal bloodline recognition activated immediately. The intricate runes blazed with brilliant solar energy that made the air itself shimmer with heat, and the massive door began to swing open with a deep, resonant hum that seemed to come from the very bones of the earth.
