Caelen's voice cut through the noise, loud, reckless, and dripping with pride.
"You see this, Twilight Guild?"
Even though the serpent was still completely unscathed, its massive head shifting only slightly under the weight of his taunt, Caelen's tone carried a dangerous confidence — the kind that made Eli's stomach twist.
'What the hell is he doing?' Eli thought, frowning hard.
Caelen was walking toward the serpent, slow but deliberate.
Each step echoed in the quiet that followed the chaos, crunching against scorched earth.
His smirk stayed perfectly in place, sharp and fearless.
The air shimmered faintly around him. Gold light began to crack across his skin like fractures in porcelain — his veins pulsing with contained power, glowing brighter with every heartbeat.
He wasn't hesitating. He was about to strike.
Kairo's jaw tightened. "Does he actually think he can attack that alone?" he muttered under his breath, his voice flat but edged with disbelief.
