The sphere tore through the arena like a falling star, its surface blacker than night, pulling dust, rubble, and even fragments of broken wards into its orbit. Noel's voice cracked the silence as the spell reached its peak.
"Dark Sun!"
The implosion came first—a crushing silence as if the world itself held its breath. Then the detonation followed, a roar of fire so compressed it burned without color. The floor of the coliseum buckled inward, entire slabs of stone collapsing under the sheer pressure. Shadows bent, light twisted, and the runes etched into the walls flared desperately to contain the blast.
Noel staggered forward, sweat dripping down his brow, chest rising and falling heavily. His emerald eyes never left the swirling storm of fire and dust where the First Pillar had stood. That had to work. Nicolas stood with narrowed eyes, lightning still dancing across his frame, while Selene watched from the side, wand steady, every muscle taut in anticipation.
