An unimaginable, transcendent pressure cascaded downward, crushing reality itself into absolute stillness. Eldric's unfinished command died in his throat, his mouth frozen mid-word.
In that instant, the fabric of existence crystallized, suspended between heartbeats. Leaves hung motionless in midair, shimmering embers halted their dance, and even the smallest particles of mana stood impossibly still—tiny stars trapped in glass.
Time had not simply paused—it had been seized, shackled, and held in absolute stasis.
Within this frozen silence, a single entity stirred. A faint pulse radiated outward from Orion's slumbering form, barely perceptible yet powerful enough to ripple softly through the unmoving air.
Hovering gently above Orion, the Limitless System activated, forming first as a translucent, shimmering interface, then swiftly reshaping into an avatar.
