The wind stopped.
Ash froze mid-air.
Farren's eyes widened from the edge of the ring. "...Oh no."
Because for the first time — Rejection was no longer confined to Caelith.
It was expanding.
Not violently.
Not explosively.
But undeniably.
Aurex moved.
He didn't hesitate. The prince didn't believe in hesitation. His foot barely touched the stone before gravity warped again — warping space in a curve to accelerate his descent.
Scimitar glowing like a curved piece of dawn, he lunged toward Caelith's exposed side.
Faster than before.
Sharpened with intent.
His hand passed through the edge of Caelith's growing aura—
And his power vanished.
No gravitational pull.
No increased velocity.
Just… nothing.
Aurex's eyes flashed with confusion. Then comprehension.
He retreated mid-lunge, forcing a redirect, landing light on his feet like a dancer choking on his own steps.
He looked at his own hand.
The glow was gone.
His jaw tightened.
"…He's disrupting my field."
