Though they had parted, Serein still held on to the faint thread binding her to Kai as he stepped into the cage.
The kiss they had shared moments ago had tightened that bond, so fragile yet steady enough that she could still keep him within reach of her control.
Quake lumbered forward. He tasted Kai's levo, gauged it as no higher than C or B rank. Another easy win. His thick hands clapped together with a crack like breaking bones, his laugh brutal and guttural.
"I'll grind you into dust."
Kai clenched his jaw beneath the mask of cloth. Watching from outside had been suffocating enough, but inside this death-cage, the stench of Quake's killing intent pressed heavier, a suffocating weight crushing his lungs. Breathing itself became labor.
"Breathe."
The command struck sharp inside his skull. Kai's eyes darted to the stands, where Serein sat, motionless.
"Focus." Her voice echoed again, clear, unwavering, though her lips never moved.
