Kiara's attention returned to Caleb Crescent.
The old king still slept peacefully, his chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths.
Kiara stood and walked to the bedside.
The wooden floor creaked softly beneath her boots.
She lifted the Purification Stone once more. Its glow brightened, bathing the room in a pale silver radiance.
Following the system's instructions, she placed the stone gently against the old man's forehead, exactly where the Doom Seal lay hidden.
Kiara channeled her ether energy into it.
At once, the stone dissolved into countless motes of white light, which streamed into the seal like stars falling into a dark well.
The process lasted only ten seconds.
Then the black mark vanished.
As if struck by an unseen bell, Caleb Crescent's eyes flew open. The old king inhaled sharply and sat upright, his movements abrupt but powerful, like a lion rising after years of sleep.
[Ding! Quest completed.]
[Ding! Unique Skill acquired: Seal Breaker.]
