"It's over."
The words struck the battlefield like a decree, and in that instant, all chaos froze.
Emery's body, moments ago wreathed in surging power, slowly shrank back into his human form. His chest heaved as light and darkness peeled away from him, coalescing into the twin shadows of his soul. For a heartbeat the world seemed unreal, suspended between collapse and eternity.
The air before him rippled. From within the blinding light, a figure stepped forth. At first, only a silhouette against the brilliance—then gradually, a man took shape.
Robes of muted grey trailed in the air like mist. His beard was short and white, his hair silvered like ash, though his face remained strangely obscured, veiled as if reality itself resisted revealing him.
And yet… there was something familiar. Not in appearance alone, but in the resonance of his aura. Majestic. Supreme.
