The Battlefield Holds Its Breath
Silence.
A silence thicker than the war that had raged moments ago.
The battlefield—once a landscape of chaos, of twisting Rift energy and shattered ice—had gone still. The violet lightning had ceased, the blackened spires of corruption had crumbled into dust, and yet—
Something was wrong.
Ethan knew it.
His golden eyes were locked on Kael, who stood at the center of it all, his body flickering—phasing in and out of existence like a mirage caught between worlds. His breath was shallow, his golden-ringed eyes wide with realization.
Not fear.
Not rage.
But something deeper.
Acceptance.
"I… wasn't meant to be here."
The words left Kael's lips like an echo from the past, a whisper carried on the cold wind.
Mia, Orion, Nefera, and Selene—watching from the battlefield's edge—felt the shift.
Selene's expression darkened, her golden aura pulsing slightly. She had seen this before.
