Chapter 55 Aftermath And Ascension

• "And in return?" Lord Garrett pressed, his political instincts still sharp despite the upheaval.
• "Protection," I said simply. "When the barriers fail again—and they will—you'll have the knowledge and power to defend your lands and your people. The alternative is watching your kingdoms consumed by things that exist beyond mortal understanding."
• The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken fears and calculations. These nobles had built their lives around predictable power structures, careful alliances, and the assumption that magic was something that happened to other people. Now they were being asked to embrace a world where every farmer might need to know how to seal a dimensional rift.