The moment Sharky's words fell, a thunderous hum echoed through the great hall.
Behind him, golden light coalesced into a blazing vortex swirling, expanding, and reshaping itself into the form of a majestic phoenix.
Its vast wings unfurled with a cry that pierced heaven and earth. The very air trembled, and the ground beneath their feet rippled like water.
The flames were not ordinary; each wisp carried divine brilliance, mingling with golden radiance and threads of primordial power.
The Golden Phoenix opened its eyes. In those eyes flickered worlds of destruction and rebirth, the eternal cycle of life itself. A divine pressure surged outward like a storm, pressing down upon every being present.
The Grand Elders gasped as their knees hit the floor involuntarily. The Second Empress's veil fluttered, her eyes widening in disbelief.
