Caleb pushed against Julian's energy beam, every muscle screaming in protest, the air thick with the clash of forces. Mara's chanting grew louder, her voice raw as she fought to keep Julian's minions at bay. Sal and Silas were locked in a brutal melee, the sounds of metal on stone echoing the struggle.
Caleb focused all his will into the Stone. He remembered the diary entries, the history of the Vances as keepers of the balance, not masters of the Void. The stone wasn't a weapon; it was a stopper.
"You lose, Julian!" Caleb gritted out, stepping closer to the dais.
With a final push of energy, the white light from the Stone overloaded Julian's brass device. The machine sparked violently and exploded, sending shards of brass flying. Julian screamed, stumbling backward, his hands bleeding and burned.
Caleb didn't stop. He vaulted onto the dais and dove for the tearing wound in the floor. The Void below was an endless expanse of nothingness, pulling at his soul. He held the Stone with both hands and slammed it hard into the exact center of the black chasm.
The Stone didn't sink in; it embedded itself, glowing a brilliant white-hot.
A massive shockwave of energy blasted outward, lifting Caleb off his feet and throwing him across the room. A deafening roar filled the chamber as the Void fought back against the sudden seal.
The purple light in the clock tower turned blinding white. The chant from the society members stopped entirely. The black breach began to shrink, compressing with terrifying speed, sucked back into the Stone.
Julian watched in horror and then fury. "No! My work! Five decades of work!" He staggered toward the dais, reaching for the Stone.
Silas, finally subdued and bleeding from a massive wound in his side, collapsed to the floor, motionless.
"It's over, Julian!" Mara yelled, her voice hoarse.
Julian ignored her. His burned hands touched the white-hot Stone just as the last of the Void compressed into the nexus point. The energy flared one last time. Julian didn't scream; he simply dissipated, turned into motes of dust by the raw, balanced power of the ley line snapping back into alignment.
A profound silence filled the chamber. The clock tower went dark again. The only light came from the single, steady white glow of the Stone, embedded in the stone floor.
Caleb picked himself up off the floor, bruised but intact. Sal wiped blood from his face, looking impressed. Mara walked over to the dais, exhaustion etched onto her face.
"Well," she said, looking at the glowing Stone. "That's sealed. Permanently, I think. It's now part of the nexus."
Caleb nodded. Oakhaven was safe. The natural balance was restored.
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