The marsh swallowed the fallen citadel slowly, as though the land itself were reluctant to accept such a grotesque structure back into its depths. Crimson stone hissed and cracked under the pressure of the murky waters, and the last remnants of the Baroness's magic dissolved into faint, harmless ripples. Mist crept back in, reclaiming the battlefield.
Neo stood at the highest stable platform, the second Necro Essence resting in his palm. Unlike the first, this one pulsed with a deeper, more volatile rhythm—warmer, almost alive. For a moment, he felt a faint whisper brush against his thoughts, seductive and insistent, but the Sword of Light at his side flared gently, steadying him.
"Careful," Ast said as she approached, her staff faintly glowing. "That one feels… different."
Neo nodded, closing his fingers around the crystal. "Yeah. It's stronger. Or maybe just… hungrier."
