Just as Alex's fingers wrapped around the hilt of the Celestial Sunblade—
WOOOOOOO!
Golden light exploded outward, flooding the dome like a newborn sun tearing apart the dark. The sheer force of it rippled through the ground, making the air feel molten.
The instant his skin made contact with the hilt, searing agony erupted in his right hand. It was as if a thousand molten needles were being driven through every nerve.
"Ghh—!" Alex groaned, his body curling slightly from the shock of pain.
Charlotte, who had been watching with wide eyes, immediately bolted toward him.
"Alex! What the hell is going on?!"
Before she could even reach him, the pressure blasted outward in a violent wave—slamming into her like a physical wall and throwing her back several meters.
"Stay back!" Alex barked through clenched teeth. "Don't come closer—it's dangerous!"
