The black dust that had once been Nyxar settled slowly onto the cold cave floor.
The crystal heart that had been his source of power was completely shattered. Only ordinary stone remained where it had once pulsed with terrible dark energy.
I looked around at my team, my family. Ezra stood up first, moving stiffly from our ordeal. He reached down and helped me to my feet with gentle hands. His eyes were wet with tears, but he was smiling. It was a real, genuine smile that reached all the way to his eyes.
"We did it," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion and exhaustion. "We actually did it."
I nodded, unable to speak at first. Tears started flowing freely down my face. These were happy tears, tears of pure relief and joy. The overwhelming weight that had been pressing down on us for so long was finally lifted.
