Jake should have been pleased with himself for severely wounding the Titan Tree. The consequences of his actions were the exact opposite.
With the cold composure of a predator—or an assassin—poised to strike again, his expression had darkened considerably, his complexion turning deathly pale with fury and self-directed remorse.
He blamed himself for not anticipating the possibility that injuring Anthace's avatar would trigger a howl of agony with such catastrophic repercussions.
"It's my fault…" he muttered under his breath, his face twisted by a rare flicker of guilt.
[…I doubt you could have predicted something like that.] Xi tried to soften the blow with a gentle tone, though she herself wasn't entirely convinced there had been nothing they could have done differently.
