## **Chapter 17 - Finale: The Awakening of Skalin**

The city was fully awakening. Not as before—slowly, unconsciously—but consciously, reacting to every movement, every sound, every pulse of Zofia's heart.

The streets were filled with light, and the air was thick with the energy of the runes. People in their homes, on the streets, and in the parks felt something strange, as if the city were speaking without words, and they understood its thoughts and emotions.

Zofia stood in the center of the square, among the descendants of the Circle. The runes pulsed around her, swirling faster and brighter. She felt every breath, every step, every thought of the city.

"Ready?" asked Agnieszka.

"Yes," they all answered in unison.

The Shadow of the Harbinger appeared one last time.

"If the city survives this night, the Circle will be renewed. If not… all will return to darkness."

Zofia closed her eyes, felt the energy pulsing in her heart, and cried out:

"Skalin... **live!**"

The runes exploded with light, filling the entire city. The stones trembled, the streets pulsed, and the air filled with the whispers of its former inhabitants—all those who had been part of the Circle.

The shadows of the past vanished. Only the silhouettes of the Circle's descendants and Zofia, who was now the heart of the city, remained.

"We succeeded," Marta whispered.

"Yes," Zofia replied. "But this is only the beginning. Now the city lives, but we must guard its secrets."

Lena looked into the distance.

"Skalin speaks. But he speaks in a way we don't yet understand."

Zofia smiled faintly.

"And we will never fully understand. But we can be its guardians."

Peter placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So... everything is over?"

Zofia looked out at the city, which was teeming with life of its own.

"Never. The Circle never ends. But now we are ready."

The runelights slowly dimmed, leaving Skalin in a peaceful, quiet twilight. The city no longer whispered in secret. Now it spoke, and they were its guardians.

And though darkness still lurked in some corners, the Circle's energy was stronger than ever.

Zofia took a deep breath.

"Skalin... welcome to your new life."

The Shadow Harbinger smiled one last time and vanished into thin air.

The city hummed with its own rhythm, and Zofia knew that her past, her blood, and her destiny would forever be linked to this place.

The Circle closed... but its story was only just beginning.

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