If Liora found a way to avoid or neutralize the attack despite unfavorable circumstances, there'd still be a chance to prolong the conflict. Maybe even turn it around if she could destroy a tower during the opening created by committing all his stakes.
But that was looking increasingly unlikely.
Selphira watched with complete attention, hand unconsciously gripping her seat's arm with tension she rarely showed externally.
Her breathing had stopped entirely, held in anticipation of the outcome. Even after hundreds of years, after witnessing countless battles, this one held her captive.
This was exactly the type of confrontation making hundreds of years of existence worthwhile. The young pushing boundaries, showing her things she'd never seen despite her vast experience.
Ren's parents held their breath collectively, unable to look away even for half a second.
