In the air.
"Did you know, Aurora..." Merlin's voice cut through the wind, low and sonorous, each syllable weighted like the chains still clinging to his limbs. Cracks bloomed through them, spiderwebbing from his wrists like glass under strain.
His mana flared—not in ripples but in sharp, vertical streaks, as if even the atmosphere rebelled against his presence. The clouds above twisted unnaturally, as if the very sky feared him.
"You missed a crucial lesson," he continued, head tilting back slightly, strands of his silver hair catching firelight and star-glow alike. "A theory I suggested... centuries ago. Do you still remember?"
His breath came out in frost despite the heat of his aura.
"I guess not," he said, smiling almost fondly. "It's been long…"
