Chapter 10: Echoes in the Silence

The silence in the Luminous Glade was deafening. Each heartbeat, each breath, seemed to echo in the vast emptiness. I stumbled forward, desperation evident in every step, reaching out to where Richard had last been.

Lyria, recovering from the shock, approached cautiously. "The energy from the pendant... it's something I've never witnessed before. It was protective, yet... volatile."

I spun to face her, tears brimming. "But where did it take him? Where is Richard?"

She looked at the Lumina Crystal, which now pulsed with a subdued light. "I believe he's been transported to another realm, one that resonates with the pendant's energy."

I clutched the pendant, feeling its gentle warmth. "This has been in my family for generations. How could it possess such power?"

Lyria gazed thoughtfully at the jewel. "Legends speak of a First Realm, where all realities stem from. Perhaps your pendant holds a fragment of that realm."

The weight of the situation bore down on me. "I need to find Richard. Ca