Ali's offer still hung in the air like a promise...and a challenge.
Logan rolled his shoulders once, feeling the dull throb along his ribs fade beneath the steady flow of internal energy. The cracked shards of his old mask lay scattered near the crater his fall had created. "Fine," he thought, eyes sharpening. "I'll take the new one with my own hands."
"Ready?" Ali asked lightly.
"Always," Logan replied.
The dust had barely settled, yet the tension in the air felt fresh, heavier than before. Logan's shirt was torn at the edges. A faint trail of blood ran from his lip to his chin. But his presence… it felt stronger.
Ali took one step forward, and the stone cracked underfoot. His gravity magic began to pulse again. Not a sudden wave this time. It was building slowly, layer by layer, like a mountain waiting to fall.
Logan's mana reacted. Like a sleeping beast slowly raising its head.
No words were exchanged.
Both had already said enough.
