The air in the royal sanctum thrummed with power. Ancient runes, etched into the floor centuries ago, pulsed with a faint, ethereal glow. Aurelia, her face pale but resolute, stood within their circle, hands outstretched, channeling the energy that flowed from the heart of the earth itself. The King, his breath shallow and rattling, lay on a nearby dais, his life force flickering like a candle in a storm.