Aelyra's body left the square like a projectile launched from a divine catapult. There was no elegance in the movement, nor any trace of control. It was simply mass, speed, and destruction compressed into a straight trajectory toward the urban horizon. The air ripped around her in a sharp howl, forming visible waves of pressure that caused flags to break, windows to shatter, and birds to plummet in panic from rooftops. For a few seconds, the entire capital could follow a line of devastation crossing the low sky between towers and avenues.
