When she reached the top, Ric was waiting for her.
He had never left.
A Thunder Staff rested in one hand, its barrel aimed toward the tunnel below, ready to fire if she needed help.
But that was the problem.
She hadn't needed his help.
She had been more than powerful enough to bring absolute devastation upon them.
She was only a child...
...yet she possessed enough power to crush a mountain.
Unlike Ric, whose clothes were stained with drying blood, there wasn't a single drop on Ranar's body.
Her dress remained spotless.
Her golden hair slowly settled behind her as the light surrounding her faded.
Yet the fear in their eyes was impossible to miss.
Every rescued survivor.
Every child.
Even the two women they had just saved.
They all looked at her with dread.
Only Ric didn't.
Ranar bit her lip and lowered her head.
Beyond the cliffs, the darkness was slowly retreating as the first rays of dawn stretched across the horizon.
