The core glowed with a strange, prismatic light, colors folding into one another like oil on water. It was no longer merely beautiful in the way polished gemstones were beautiful. This glow carried depth, weight, and intention. Compared to when it had been lodged within the Blast Serpent's body, this radiance was calmer yet far more profound, as if the violence of battle had burned away impurities and left behind something closer to its true essence.
Thane held the core carefully with both hands, his fingers trembling despite himself. The surface was warm, not with heat but with life. Each pulse beat like a slow heart, and with every rhythm, Thane felt something echo within his own chest. It was as though the serpent had not truly died, but had instead curled inward, its vast presence compressed into something small enough to cradle.
