Chapter 7

Chapter 6: Descent into the Core

The hidden chamber was accessed through a spiral staircase concealed beneath the academy’s old theater. The air grew colder as Rey, Kriya, Swayam, and Sharon descended. The faint hum of machines blended with an irregular beat — like a heartbeat gone out of sync.

Sharon’s handheld console displayed fluctuating quantum readings. “The Rhythm Core is alive, but unstable. If we don’t stabilize it, the rift will consume everything.”

The walls around them pulsed with glowing glyphs — dancing symbols that shifted with each footstep, responding to the team’s movements.

Rey stepped carefully, remembering the dances he’d learned — the flow and precision needed to command the Core. “It’s like the chamber itself is a living dance floor.”

Kriya glanced at him, eyes steady. “Then we have to move as one. Our steps will be the code.”

Swayam adjusted his stance. “Let’s hope this rhythm can save more than just us.”

As they reached the chamber’s center, a massive, crystalline structure floated mid-air, pulsating with radiant energy — the Rhythm Core. Its surface rippled with echoes of past performances, shadows of dancers long lost.

Rey took a deep breath. “This is it. Every move from now on could either seal the rift or tear it wider.”

Sharon set up her console, interfacing with the Core’s quantum field. The symbols on the walls brightened.

The dance had begun.

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