# CHAPTER 71 – THE HEART OF UNITY
**POV: Vanessa**
"This is it."
Elena's words echoed in the vast chamber beneath the Luna Temple. Ancient stone pillars stretched up into darkness, carved with symbols that seemed to move when I wasn't looking directly at them.
But it wasn't the architecture that made my breath catch. It was the altar in the center.
Pure white marble, smooth as glass, with a hollow carved into its surface. And floating above that hollow, maybe six inches up, was something that made every nerve in my body scream.
A human heart. Still beating. Still pumping blood that glowed with silver fire.
"Please tell me that's not what I think it is," I said.
Elena's face was grim in the torchlight. "The Heart of Unity. The final artifact. The one that will either complete your transformation or destroy you in the attempt."
"And the catch?"
