Chapter 253 The Source Beckons

• The journey through the Rift was unlike anything Ariella and her companions had ever experienced. The shimmering cascade of stars enveloped them, tugging at their senses and stretching time and space into a surreal tapestry. Each step forward felt both weightless and grounding, as if the very essence of their being was drawn toward an unseen force.
• Kaelen kept his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning their surroundings with a mix of wonder and suspicion. Lyara, ever the strategist, whispered calculations under her breath, her mind racing to process the incomprehensible landscape. Rylan walked close to Ariella, his gaze occasionally drifting toward the relic, as if its presence unnerved him more than the Rift itself.
• “Does anyone else feel… watched?” Lyara asked, her voice breaking the silence.