The silence that fell over the valley was deep and profound. The air, which moments ago had been thick with oppressive energy and maddening whispers, was now clean and still.
The single ray of sunlight that had broken through the clouds seemed to spread, pushing back the gloom. The battle was over, the Monolith was gone, and the five of them were left standing in a landscape of black sand and purified rock.
The first thing Ryan did was take a deep, cleansing breath. "Well," he said, mostly to himself. "That's one way to do some spring cleaning."
His team gathered around him, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and awe. The two Sanctuary Wardens were already kneeling on the ground, their hands pressed to the earth, their own gentle light helping to speed up the healing process of the land.
The withered black moss was receding even faster now, like a tide of darkness being pulled back into the sea.
