If Ren could break the illusion, perhaps he could find the true core.
The beast seemed to sense the shift in his mood from the discovery. With a roar that combined the agonized screams of dozens of different creatures, it intensified its attacks. The spear-head moved so fast it was barely a blur in the hot, stale air of the chamber.
One of the attacks connected partially, sending Ren crashing against the wall. The impact knocked the breath from his lungs, black spots dancing in his vision as he fought to maintain consciousness.
Beside him, a large crystal fragment detached from the wall, the jarring impact having loosened it from its setting.
And in that instant, he saw it.
When the crystal hit the ground and shattered, one of the cores, the one pulsating in the enormous shadow stalker queen segment of the tail, didn't flicker like the others. It remained constant, its purple light unwavering amidst the chaos of failing illusions.
